Being around 100 students from different African nations and backgrounds is one of the best wonders life has offered me so far. The Yale Young African Scholars Program (YYAS) was an action-packed week with mind-blowing activities. Although I felt a bit overwhelmed on the first day, I vividly remember every detail about my week in Rwanda. I will cherish every moment I had with my peers and the YYAS team.
During my week in Rwanda, I spent a lot of time with my YYAS "family”, whom I met every night after the days’ main activities and lessons. Little did I know they were going to become my family for life. I was enlightened about other cultures and amazed by how well we all got along despite being from completely different parts of the continent. It was then that I realized the demarcations that are on the map of Africa dividing us country by country don’t actually exist, especially not when it comes to attaining our same goal which is to make Africa prosper. I came to understand that we are all under one banner that defines us: we are all Africans!
Every Yale student instructor was amazing in his or her own unique way. I got to interact with all of them during seminars, discussion sessions, test prep, workshops, and meal times. My friends and I also had the pleasure of meeting some of the best lecturers the world has to offer. Overall, this university-focused program was a real eye opener for what to look forward to at university. Not only did we get introduced to SAT but we also had the best tutor to take us step by step through the whole thing. And, not only did we receive direct university guidance, but we also had the honor of meeting the deans of admission from several universities around the world, including Stanford University, Columbia University, and Macalester College, just to name a few.
In this tightly-scheduled program, I learned so much about other countries. I experienced the Rwandan culture through drumming and dance. I saw people showcase their talents during the talent show. The only painful memory I have was the day I had to say goodbye to my new friends and return home, but I embraced it with the courage that we all learned from one another. To me, this week was the beginning to something great, and I will treasure it for the rest of my life!
