Meet Rwandan Girls Making Heads Roll In USA Varsities

Speak of taking career to higher level, without fear or favour, Patricie Uwase Mavubi has a story to tell.

At only 25, Uwase doesn’t only graduate with a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering from UC Berkeley; a California based University, but managed to deliver a powerful commencement speech on behalf of Masters and PHD students on May 18, her graduation day.

“Dare to dream big! You will surprise yourself and the world with how much you can achieve when you leave your comfort zone,” she said in her speech.

Right off the bat, upon graduation, Uwase has won a grant by Davis Foundation for her project to mentor over 100 high school girls back home.

Patricia gave the commencement speech at her graduation.

The Davis World College scholar’s awards grassroots projects to be implemented during summer camps to help motivate youths to promote self made ideas to build peace.

Uwase hopes to inspire home girls to pursue science and technology-related fields that will shape their career.

Uwase’s breakthrough came in form of a scholarship in 2002 from Rwanda’s First Lady Jeannette Kagame’s Foundation; Imbuto, to take a civil engineering course at Kigali Institute of Science and Technology (KIST).

A student from Byimana Secondary School in Southern Province, she had emerged among the best students in Mathematics and Physics in the country.

From KIST, Uwase won a scholarship from MasterCard Foundation for a Masters’ Degree in Civil Engineering in 2013. Majoring in Transport, Uwase dreams to contribute to Rwanda’s transportation infrastructure.

Patricia speaks to students about her journey as an engineer.

However, Uwase’s achievement is not a standalone case; last year, Evangeline Rukundo graduated with her PhD in Chemistry from the Oklahoma State University, thanks to President Paul Kagame’s scholarship program that also awards students who have excelled in sciences.

Rukundo, is the first beneficiary to earn a doctorate degree. She is among the first 10 students, among other 411 students who have benefited from the Presidential Scholarship Program since 2006.

Rukundo was also awarded a Fellowship Scholarship from the Schlumberger Foundation after her chemistry project emerged number one among six projects by international students.

Rwanda’s First Daughter

Meanwhile, the First Daughter, Ange Kagame, has also graduated from Smith College in Massachusetts, USA, with Bachelors in Political Science and a minor in African Studies.

Ange is the second born and only daughter to the Kagames who, together with Bloomberg, through her mother’s foundation, Imbuto, are implementing a project that aims at using ICT to promote the culture of reading in Rwanda.

Evangeline Rukundo graduated with her PhD in Chemistry from the Oklahoma State University

Source: KT Press