My Experience Attending the YYAS Program, by Victor Gunduor

Just as the saying goes, “The journey towards attaining success begins with little steps leading towards giant strides,” I believe attending the YYAS 2017 program at Tema International School (TIS) in Ghana was a giant stride for me. Aside from the fact that it was my first experience travelling on a plane, it was also my first time away from my parent and I really enjoyed every bit of the adventure.

Victor Gunduor (right) takes a selfie with a fellow participant at YYAS 2017 in Ghana.

Looking at my calendar, it’s really hard to believe that several months have rolled by since I returned from this prestigious program. The memories of the session are still very fresh in my mind. It seems like I was at TIS just yesterday! It will be very hard to forget the inspiring nature of YYAS program, the amazing friends, and the awesome instructors and Yale faculty members whom I encountered during the week-long program. Truly, if anything is worth reliving everything, it would be the YYAS program.

When I first learned about the program, I must admit that I was overwhelmed by the rigorous application, especially the fact that I had to write some essays and short responses about my background and my future aspirations. However, I figured that YYAS wanted the best from me and I must be able to express this belief in my own potential. It took me weeks to complete my essays, but I got great feedback thanks to my brother who was a mentor throughout the application process. I never believed I would be selected to attend the program considering my poor background and other limiting factors. Looking back, I was really lucky to have been selected and I am truly grateful to entire YYAS team to have received this opportunity.

YYAS is not just an inspiring academic program, but it is also a leadership capacity building program that has really enriched my life. The YYAS team of instructors made learning fun and I learned so many great things about how to write a good admission essay. Throughout the program, we also received SAT tutoring lessons and we were given detailed insights into the university application process by representatives of various universities.

One aspect of the YYAS that I enjoyed most were the seminars. They focused on various topics related to Africa and I gathered a lot of knowledge from them. Through these classes I discovered the need to serve my community.

Since returning home, I still feel overwhelmed by how much more needs to be done. I feel the burning desire to live up to the expectations of a YYAS Ambassador and with the support of my brother, we started the Young Gems Initiative which is committed towards helping young scholars like me in my community to discover their potentials and achieve their dreams in life. So far, I have been able to organise teenage seminars, skills acquisition programs, and YYAS information sessions. The whole idea is to make to make my community better by adding value to young people around us.

YYAS was a learning platform for me and I can’t forget the useful advice of Laura Kaub, Yaa Ampofo, Dagan Rossini, and so many other instructors at YYAS. It still feels like a dream to me even as I recount these experience, my mind is filled with hope that I can still achieve more greatness in life.

YYAS is truly a community—who would have thought that I would make so many great friends from across Africa in just one summer! This is an essential aspect of the program because it enables peers from all over the continent to interact and encourage one another all though the university application process. I have also been paired with a YYAS mentor, Anu Onemola, who is a Yale alumna now studying at Temple University, USA. Her advice and insights have been really encouraging. I am currently preparing to take my O-level exam and SAT this year, and though I miss YYAS I am inspired because I’m living the YYAS dream.

Conclusively, I’ll like to state that none of my best descriptions can come near to explain how fantastic the YYAS program is. I therefore recommend YYAS to anyone who has ever dreamed of being part of something noble and worthwhile. The YYAS is a platform for you to excel, so begin your application today!