My name is Francis Koroma and I am from Sierra Leone. I was fortunate to participate in the Yale Young African Scholars 2017 Program that took place at Tema International School in Tema, Ghana. It's a great honor for me to share my unforgettable memories and experience of a lifetime here on this blog.
I first heard about YYAS in early 2017 when I was searching for education opportunities online through Google and African Youth Opportunities. I went through the application criteria and saw that I was eligible to apply as a secondary school student in Africa. I was so curious and intrigued by this opportunity that I began my application right away.
I nervously waited for the results; I had never applied to something like this before! When I found out I had been selected I was beyond ecstatic—I was one of 300 students chosen among an applicant pool of 2,000 individuals from across the continent!
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| Me and my workshop 'family' group during the awards ceremony on the last evening. |
Not only did this program help me to develop academic and leadership skills outside my classroom in Sierra Leone, but it also made me more self-confident in many ways. For example, before coming to YYAS I was not familiar with the SAT, or what university life is like, especially in the United States. However, throughout the week I received individual and group tutoring lessons that covered the writing, math, and reading comprehension sections of the SAT. And, thanks to a generous gift from the Higherlife Foundation, all participants received a brand-new Huawei tablet which was equipped with additional study material to practice at home.
The Program also exposed me to many different opportunities for tertiary level education and how best to prepare my university applications. I got to meet university representatives from schools in the United States, as well as Africa, and learn about the liberal arts curriculum and various financial aid options.
Moreover, YYAS helped to broaden my thinking and stretched my curiosity. During the week, I heard lectures delivered by both highly regarded local practitioners and Yale faculty. I even had a chance to interact with Yale undergraduate students who taught workshops and seminars, which was one of my favorite parts of the program. For example, one seminar was titled “Moving Bodies and Inspiring Movements: Music and Dance from Expression to Resistance”. I really enjoyed being part of this seminar because it's taught me a lot about music and dance and how to reflect our memories back to the past.
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| Here I am speaking with Prof. Ian Shapiro, Sterling Professor of Political Science and the Director of the Whitney and Betty MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies at Yale University. |
And how can I forget about the talent show?! I saw such a range of talents and skills from my peers. For my own act, I designed a specific shirt and danced in front of everyone on stage.
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| A photo of me performing an original dance during the talent show in Ghana. |
Above all, YYAS gave me the first opportunity outside of Sierra Leone to get in touch with other African students from across the continent. Through this shared experience together we got to learn so much from one another. I had so much fun with my new African brothers and sisters, and I will never forget the memories we shared. If you are reading this and thinking of applying, don’t think twice—it is worth every second!
