Just as most of us have had to adjust ourselves to these uncertain times, YYAS (Yale Young African Scholars) has not been an exception. YYAS – was supposed to be my opportunity to meet other Africans who are passionate about our continent as well as their respective countries, and to share ideas and interact with new people from very diverse backgrounds. Even though we had to have our session online due to the pandemic, I have still learned so much and had an unforgettable experience.
Applying for YYAS
My friend Esther Wachira, had the chance to attend YYAS in 2019. From all the great stories she told me, coupled with her experience, I knew that I too would love such an experience, and thought, why not give it a try. I did my research through their website to learn more about the program and the application process and requirement and from there I began the application process.
The essay questions were not only thought-provoking but also super fun. One asked about our favourite fictional character, the second asked us what in our country’s history we would change and the other, which was my favourite, asked us to write on a rumour about our country and whether we agree or disagree with it.
It was a bit challenging trying to think about the rumour question but the best part was finding and settling on a topic about Kenya and from there, writing a 500-word essay even felt limiting. I also had help from one of the school Post School Success mentors who read my essays over and over and helped me articulate my thoughts in a much concise way. It was a tough process but worth it in the end.
On 9th April I opened my email from YYAS. “Congratulations! I am thrilled to offer you admission…” I saw those words and started to jump all over the house and I cried because I really couldn’t believe it! That was probably one of my highest moments in this quarantine period. I called my number one cheerleader and classmate Chelsy, who was there for me throughout the application process. Let’s just say she sounded like she was more excited than I was!
Finding a balance
A live program is obviously much better than an online one, but it was well planned either way in order to give us the YYAS experience despite the current pandemic. Additionally, I had exams at the same time as the program, which meant juggling between both. An online program also meant that we had shorter sessions and we weren’t able to have too many interactions if we were going to get all the information YYAS had to offer. We were sent materials to familiarize ourselves with the program content before it started.
During the program, we had two types of sessions, the seminars and group sessions. I especially loved the group sessions because that’s when we got to talk in smaller groups and get to know each other better. I met so many passionate people. People who are aware of the issues happening around them; people who wanted to help bring positive change to their communities; people who were not afraid to confront the challenges that we face as Africans and provide solutions to those problems.
Valuable lessons
“If we are the ones we’ve been waiting for, why are we still waiting?” This is a statement that stood out for me. It was from a video on Leadership, by Africa Matters. It is a call to us the youth to begin being changemakers and to stop waiting and just start doing whatever we can, however, we can, to impact Africa. Another perception that changed for me was my view on applying to universities in America. Previously, during our Post School Success sessions, I was clear that I was not going to go to the US to study, but now some of its schools are among the top five on my list.
All in all, YYAS gave me an opportunity to learn more about myself as well as pushed me to be better. It encouraged me to start thinking about what I can do now to help my community while equipping me with the skills I would need to do so. Lastly, I loved the people I met and enjoyed learning about all those different cultures and sharing my own. I got to expand my network and make friends for life from all over Africa. YYAS was great and I highly recommend it!
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