Undergraduate Alumni

Brandon Bwanakocha

Faculty of Applied Science

Referring to himself as the “tenacious and unstoppable African honey badger” when reflecting on his determination to overcome financial obstacles when his sponsored funding was cut, Brandon is recognized by his teachers and counsellors as a “bright, determined, and hardworking young man”. Brandon excelled in his academics and consistently achieved top grades. His achievements were also recognized nationally as one of 35 students who were selected into the United States Student Achievers Program (USAP). Outside of his work and studies, Brandon spends his time volunteering at the Chiedza Child Care Center where volunteers to teach Chess to orphaned and economically disadvantaged children.

Concerned by the inefficiencies of power in his country, through his study of electrical engineering at UBC, he hopes to eventually learn of power systems designing to create inexpensive and more efficient ways to generate and transmit electricity in Zimbabwe.

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Ahmed Faiz Hassan Hussein

Faculty of Arts

Growing up in Nairobi, Ahmed stepped out of his comfort zone and seized a range of opportunities available at a United World College, after successfully applying to join the UWC Adriatic in Italy in 2015.  During his time in Nairobi, he was a part of various extra-curricular activities taking up roles such as the chair for the East African MUN for four years, school prefect, and a scout leader and St. John’s Ambulance First Aider.

Ahmed is highly ambitious and motivated, and dreams of building a better Kenya. Concerned about corruption and poor leadership in his country, he hopes his education at UBC will allow him to gain skills to improve Kenya and lead the Kenyan people. With his degree in Economics, he specifically hopes to understand the economic situation in Kenya, and to become more aware of how the world works.

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Moses Kirathe

Sauder School of Business

At his school at St. Mary’s Secondary School, he was one of the top performers in his classes, achieving the Top Achievers Award for scoring an A average in the Kenya National Exams, and recognized by his teachers for his engaged participation in class. Moses involved himself in sports and extracurriculars as well, participating in tournaments in table tennis and founding a roller skaters club called “Limuru Roller Skaters Club” where they practice on the weekends.

As an emerging entrepreneur, Moses sees the many ways for IT to improve the lives of people in his country. Highlighting the inefficiencies in business operations in his country, he hopes his degree in Business at UBC will help him to develop IT solutions that will allow automation of simple tasks to help the growth of small and medium enterprises. He also envisions an online education platform that will allow better accessibility to education and help reduce unemployment among youth. So far he has developed “Afriemerge”, a medical mobile application that enables users to learn basic first aid skills.

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Kumbirai (Trish) Kujeke

Faculty of Land & Food Systems

Kumbirai, or Trish as she is fondly called, is described as a “compassionate, intelligent, self-motivated, and focused young lady.” In 2015, as a result of her strong performance in the sciences and Math, Trish was nominated by the Principal to attend WiSci Girls STEAM Camp (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) in Rwanda—a girls’ camp about leadership and advocacy in the STEAM field for young women. While she is an outstanding student in the classroom, her engagements are also well recognized in her extra-curricular activities. She dedicates her time to helping the community through working with four other students to start initiatives such as her fashion enterprise to employ the less privileged youths with vocational skills in sewing or visiting the orphanage once a week to help with the children’s homework. She has also represented her school as a top tennis player and high jump athlete.

Through her Bachelor of Science degree in Global Health & Nutrition, Trish will gain a deeper understanding of the social determinants of health and later, pursue a career path that will enable her to influence health and social policy. She hopes to join forces with like-minded individuals to dismantle the barriers faced by minority groups as they attempt to reach their full health potential. Trish is also passionate about the development of her country of origin, Zimbabwe, and hopes to be at the forefront of alleviating food insecurity and poverty.

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Arlena Musinga

Faculty of Applied Science

Actively creating opportunities for herself, she joined Mt. St. Mary’s Namagunga School for her Advanced Levels on a two-year bursary that recognized her exceptional academic performance in her Ordinary Levels. She has achieved numerous awards in a variety of subjects, in particular she demonstrates strengths in mathematics as she received first place in the National Mathematics Contest in 2013.

Concerned about the issues of education especially for young girls, since completing her A-Levels in 2014, Arlena has been involved volunteering at Support Girl Child Education Foundation helping to support and mentor young girls to continue their education. As the first girl to have completed her Advanced Levels successfully from her village, she works as a motivational speaker and as a role-model to inspire youth in her rural village. Through studying engineering at UBC, she hopes to improve and innovate the bridge and dam construction in Uganda. She envisions that her degree will allow her to explore the opportunities to encourage extension of clean water in the rural areas through advanced water treatment and water supply and distribution measures.

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M. Fred Mutangana

Faculty of Forestry

Described as “intellectually gifted and proactive”, M. Fred has lifted himself from a difficult upbringing and has thrived in his academics and his community involvements at Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village (ASYV) in Rwanda. He ranked first out of 16 students in his combination of Math, Physics, and Computer Science, and earned the second highest possible score on Rwanda’s high school graduation test.

Realizing his weakness in English, he founded the debate club at his school as a way for him to practice his English skills, and helping his peers to improve as well. His initiative has proven to be successful, as his team has developed into confident English speakers winning the 2015 East African Debate Championship. Demonstrating his qualities as a leader, M. Fred has also been involved in community initiatives as Secretary of Gender in his Student Government as well as a participant in community service programs to make education more accessible to poor youths and female students. With his Bachelor’s degree at UBC, M.Fred hopes to continue to make a difference in people’s lives; to help the vulnerable through infrastructural restructuring that will allow them to access various services such as education and employment.

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Jovin Shumbusho

Faculty of Arts

Joining one of the top elite schools in Tanzania on a full scholarship for the two year International ‘A’ Level Program at Haven of Peace Academy (HOPAC), Jovin has thrived as one of the top scholarship students HOPAC has ever accepted. Especially strong in Math, Jovin has achieved numerous academic awards, most notably achieving the highest mark in the world in AS Business in the Cambridge International Examinations.

Jovin took advantage of the opportunities at HOPAC to explore ways to serve others. He took leadership in a wide-range of extra-curricular and community service activities such as Class Representative for his student council, Club Leader of Rotary International Club, a Teacher at a local government school, and helping and interacting with young Tanzanian men at Changamoto Rehabilitation Centre who struggle with drug addiction and dependency issues. Jovin envisions his degree at UBC will “enable [him] to pursue a career working closely with Tanzania’s government as a future policymaker.” He hopes to be equipped with the knowledge and experience to “develop the mindset of a committed leader, and positively impacting global communities…in developing countries like [his] own”.

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Gretha Teta

Faculty of Forestry

Gretha has been described as “talented, driven, and spirited young woman”. As the “Most Outstanding Student in Geography” in 2014, 2015, and 2016 and recognized by her physics teacher as among the top three Physics students in her grade, she maintained an exceptional academic performance throughout high school. Gretha is a well-rounded student, involved in a wide-range of activities outside the classroom. She is a confident leader on the basketball court, a sport she has been involved in since primary.

Having served Environmental Prefect in 2015, and attending Mining Summer Program in South Dakota School of Mines in 2016, Gretha demonstrates a very deep concern and passion to improve the environmental conditions of her country. She is particularly concerned about issues to do with conservation as she highlights the poor conservation strategies for the rich forests of Nyungwe and Gishwati in Rwanda. She hopes through her Natural Resources Conservation degree at UBC, she will gain the skills to find a solution to Rwanda’s deforestation and conservation issues.

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Sabeeha Manji

Faculty of Arts

Sabeeha is described as a “multi-dimensional and all-rounded student who performs a multiplicity of tasks with ease”. Her passion for people and community stems from her inspiration, the Aga Khan, a philanthropist and spiritual leader of the Ismaili Muslims. She strongly believes that coming to UBC will enrich her perception of pluralism. Her drive to be active and cognizant of what she could do to make a difference began with the research she conducted with the Global Encounters International Program. Not only did she come out of this program with a full-merit scholarship, she also found a new personal interest in women’s issues in Kenya.

She has found the importance of humanitarian and political rights, and hopes to explore her passion of world affairs and foreign policies with her degree in International Relations. Her ultimate goal is to dedicate her life to international relations, and eventually humanitarian law, to develop institutions in her home country of Kenya.

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Edward Ssebuliba

Faculty of Science

Edward believes that if he wants to see change in Uganda and in Africa as a whole, he will have to initiate it. He has worked tirelessly in his community to improve its conditions. Edward has worked with community schools to teach the children English, Math and basic Science, whilst learning how to clone computers and create interfaces to repair old computers.

At UBC, Edward is looking to ultimately pursue a career in health or medical sciences. He believes that there are many curable diseases in Uganda that aren’t being treated properly due to the lack of education and health care. He intends on reducing the doctor-patient ratio, and providing access to treatment and decent medical care in remote places in Uganda. Additionally, he hopes that by studying biochemistry, he will improve his analytical skills to eventually identify the causes of various diseases in his country. His nominators are sure that he will bring leadership and academic prowess to our community, and back to Africa upon his return.

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Brendon Tankwa

Faculty of Applied Science

Despite coming from a family that has faced significant hardships, Brendon has an undying thirst for knowledge and goes out of his way to seek opportunities that would help him grow intellectually. He possesses a genuine zeal for learning and is especially gifted in mathematics, as demonstrated by his first place performance at the National Mathematics Olympiad in 2015. Brendon is determined to use his academic talent to its fullest potential by making the world a better place. His teachers at Petra High School praise him for his selflessness and giving heart and are confident that he will he use his gift to help change Zimbabwe and Africa for the better.
Brendon’s goal to become an electrical engineer will allow him to realize his vision for his home country of Zimbabwe. He hopes to play an active role in the emerging development of clean electrical energy, particularly in the areas of generation and conservation, to increase productivity of Zimbabwean industries and advance its economy. He is keen to gain expert knowledge at UBC, access the top research facilities and find the energy solutions that will aid Zimbabwe and other countries alike.

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Melisa Mumbi Kimwere

Faculty of Arts

Melisa stands out as a leader who has a “sense of maturity above her peers, mindfulness and a deep capacity for empathy.” Chosen as one of the two Peer Counselors assigned to each class in addition to her capacity as House Prefect all throughout her three years at her high school, her “self-discipline and her influence on peers” has been appreciated by many. Outside of school she has also been involved as a member of the Red Cross where she has gained greater understanding of the spirit of unity and service.

Through her degree in the Phsycology and minor in Gender, Race, Sexuality and Justice at UBC, she hopes understand the human mind and behavior to shed light on the injustices practiced on minorities and come up with solutions in order to maintain tranquility. In particular, she is motivated to understand the workings of human body to help those with autism like her sister. She hopes to contribute to the health sector of her country to improve the health products and to ensure to have a positive impact on people’s lives.

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Ashley Nyangani

Faculty of Arts

Ashley  wishes to be strong and unwavering in her beliefs, despite the criticism and oppression that women face in her community and country. Ashley aspires to be a fearless individual and hopes to address issues on early child marriage, gender-based violence and gender inequality in the workforce and government.
When Ashley’s not on the forefront fighting for women’s rights, she can be found raising awareness about HIV/AIDS, a disease that claimed the lives of her parents and grandfather. She sees it as a personal responsibility to share her story, however difficult it is, to educate her peers and encourage conversation.

Having almost been married off at a young age, Ashley recognizes the gender-based issues that young girls and women face day-to-day in communities in Zimbabwe and Africa. Traditional customs and beliefs that see males in school and females at home or married off to suitors at an early age are issues that Ashley wishes to address. She hopes to pursue a UBC degree in social sciences so she may become a voice for the voiceless and stand for social justice.

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Titani Sumasi

Faculty of Science

Titani sees herself giving back to the UBC and Vancouver community through dedicating herself to student organizations that engage in volunteer work for education or health initiatives whilst on campus. Eventually when she returns to Zambia, she hopes to build off the Kucetekela Foundation to expand scholarships for students outside of Lusaka, as she wants to create leaders all over Zambia.

Titani found her passion in the health sector when she volunteered at compound clinics and saw the many challenges that were being faced. The lack of adequate medical personnel often led to premature deaths, and improper education led to breakouts of diseases like typhoid. Titani hopes that a Bachelor’s degree in Science will give her the necessary knowledge to educate her community on preventable diseases and how they can be treated. She eventually hopes to attend medical school, where she dreams of specializing in cardiovascular surgery. With this she hopes to solve the lack of specialist treatments available in Zambia, and treat patients in need in her home country.

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Bwalya Kasanda

Sauder School of Business 

Bwalya earned scholarships from both The Kucetekela Foundation and Pestalozzi International Village and finished her IB Diploma in the United Kingdom at East Sussex Coast College Hastings. Bwalya has been noted as an insightful and conscientious student, achieving top grades in higher level English Literature.  Naturally, Bwalya’s strong yearning to fight for social justice has inspired her to volunteer for various organizations and causes. Bwalya has worked with the Kalikiliki Literacy Project where she taught over a hundred unschooled children basic Math, English and Science. Bwalya has also volunteered with Pestalozzi’s student program, AFRIKABA (an African- Caribbean integration organization) and the Centre for Infection Disease Research in Zambia.

Bwalya believes a degree in Commerce will equip her with the analytical, networking, communication and problem-solving skills that will be essential for implementing projects and initiatives to support and empower women in her country. She wishes to become involved in leadership of organizations that have helped her and people like her such as the Kucetekela Foundation.

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Emma-Claire Njiki

Faculty of Applied Science

Emma-Claire is someone who strongly values persistence and perseverance, as her idol Nelson Mandela did. As Mandela says “What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have made it or lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we led”. Emma-Claire similarly, wants to use this mindset to make a difference in the economic and community life of her country. She thrives not only to bring back her education, but to inspire others to help her in her journey towards transforming Cameroon.

Emma-Claire believes that her degree in Chemical Engineering will help improve the design process and procedure of transforming and transporting materials in her country. Cameroon is heavily dependent on the synthesis and process of chemicals and materials and with her education at UBC, Emma-Claire wants to see a real take-off in the industrialization of Cameroon.

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Neema Rimber

Faculty of Arts

Neema has proven to be a motivated, curious and diligent student. As a student at St Mary’s School, Nairobi, she emerged as the top student of her International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP) graduating class with top marks in Economics, Physics and Environmental Systems and Societies. During her time at St. Mary’s, Neema was an avid participant in many extra-curricular activities including numerous volunteer efforts with children’s’ homes in and out of Nairobi as well as clubs such theatre where she received awards for her performance and commitment and the East Africa Model United Nations where she served as the Senior Chairperson for the Ecology Committee. In her senior year, she assumed the role of Head Girl in her school and exhibited gracious and valuable leadership and mentorship to her peers, which she credits as having taught her the value of service. Passionate about educating ‘tomorrows generation’, she also worked as an intern with EducationUSA- US Embassy Nairobi, under their program to help students from underprivileged backgrounds apply to university. It is clear by her interests that Neema has the desire to apply her educational knowledge into a career that serves her community.

A Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics will provide her with the knowledge and skillset to pursue a career that serves her community in a variety of ways. She hopes to work with engineers to determine costs and viability of sustainable energy sources with the aim of increasing efficiency and encouraging rural electrification. She is also eager to empower women in her community to rise up and plans on leading by example.

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Gisele Umuhoza

Faculty of Forestry

Academically, Gisele is a top student who is always challenging herself intellectually by taking and excelling in the hardest combination of courses. In fact, in her senior year, Gisele and two other classmates initiated a project, which saw the installation of a solar-powered irrigation system on their school farm to help increase food production and income in a sustainable and cost-effective way. Equally as important to Gisele is her involvement with the Gashora Health Centre. She was immediately captivated by the stories she heard from the women who had suffered domestic abuse and was determined to take action. Having practiced karate for numerous years, Gisele started a karate club in the hope that it will empower women to stand together against violence. She believes that change can be made as long as we all stand as one and she plans to incorporate this way of life at UBC. With her deep interest for sustainability and renewable energy resources, Gisele hopes to pursue a degree in Natural Resource Conservation at UBC and envisions a future where Rwanda will be able to manage and effectively use sustainable environmental resources to advance the country’s economy.

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Luizer Njoki Mburu

Faculty of Land and Food Systems

Njoki was born and raised (up to the age of 8) in Ol Rongai village in Nakuru, Kenya. Having lived on her grandparents’ farmland, Njoki came to greatly value land, food systems and community engagement. Even after moving to the city, her passion for the conservation and management of the environment was maintained through participation in environmental project designs such as the annual Innovate Kenya Project Innovation Challenge where she and her teammates were one of nine nation-wide finalists. Throughout Njoki’s time at Precious Blood Secondary School in Nairobi, she was keen on involving herself in clubs such as the Model United Nations where she wrote United-Nations-format resolutions and debated in international gatherings as part of the Ecological Committee. Earning a scholarship from the Robert Bosch Foundation, Njoki attended UWC Robert Bosch College in Freiburg, Germany where she was immersed in not only pursuing her International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma but also in various environmental initiatives such as the annual Convention of Environmental Laureates by the European Environment Foundation. Njoki’s journey at UBC started off with a plan to major in Environmental Science but has ended up with her pursuing Sustainable Development. She aspires to work collaboratively with indigenous communities throughout Sub-Sahara Africa and with intergovernmental and governmental bodies in the creation and successful implementation of Development & Environmental Management Policies.

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Racheal Ayugi

Faculty of Arts

Raised in the crossroads as a woman standing for her gender’s humanity in a deeply patriarchal society, Rachael is constantly taught that the empowerment of women is “un-African” and sometimes “un-Christian”.  She strives to not only challenge the status quo but to fight for both the liberation of females, as well as the equality of each individual. This passion has driven her to co-find a service group called “La Ninya”, which provides girls in Mombasa with the necessary skills to impart change in their community. In their short three years since establishment, her group has been able to open three forums within local schools. Using her interest in understanding fiscal and monetary policies, Rachael wants to apply her future economics degree and work with the Kenyan government to reduce the country’s trade deficit. She believes the increased reliance on imports is the main reason Kenya is at its lowest exchange rate to date, and wants to use her degree to stabilize and grow their economy.

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Shinina Muthiora

Faculty of Applied Science

Shinina hopes to create an affordable and efficient healthcare system to help the economically disadvantaged people who don’t have the financial means to access quality healthcare. As an advocate for gender equality, Shinina launched a mentorship program for an all-female school where she shared effective study strategies in preparation for the national level exams in mathematics and physics. She refuses to believe that only males can succeed in the sciences and hopes to break this common notion in Kenya and Africa that engineering is an industry only for males.

Passionate in improving the healthcare system in Kenya, Shinina hopes to pursue a degree in Biomedical Engineering so she may one day be part of the designing, manufacturing and maintenance of biomedical equipment in hospitals. Shinina envisions a future of better and greater access to healthcare, especially in rural areas of Kenya and hopes to play an active role in the implementation of various medical techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging.

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Sia Jan-Abu

Faculty of Science

Originally from Sierra Leone, Sia was selected out of 1000 applicants to join the United World College (UWC) of South East Asia on a full scholarship. Since moving to UWCSEA, Sia is described as a student who has a broad international understanding, who celebrates differences and diversity, is compassionate and has a strong sense of personal responsibility. As a strong believer in the power of education, one of Sia’s goals is to find solutions to improve the education system in her home country. She recognizes that students are unable to complete or access quality education, which she believes translates to high levels of unemployment and poverty. While it will not be an easy task, Sia is confident that she’ll meet like-minded people at UBC, who share the same vision for Sierra Leone and together will work relentlessly to improve the education system for future generations.

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Cassandra Adjetey

Faculty of Arts

Above all else, Cassandra is a firm believer in the power of hope. She strives to be a beacon of hope for those who have lost it. She refuses to acknowledge the word “impossible”. As a top student in her class, she was elected prefect and was awarded a government bursary scholarship. Cassandra has been involved in a broad range of activities such as the Future Leaders Club and was a prominent member of the French Club, a singer and aspiring pianist at The Apostolic Church Ghana and a volunteer of the Reach Out Society. Cassandra’s community service and philanthropic efforts are a true testament to her desire to provide hope for those around her.

Cassandra wants to use her interest and aptitude for mathematics, data analysis and economics to provide constructive financial education to the population of Ghana. She acknowledges the inevitable challenges of pursuing a career as an actuary in Ghana due to traditionalist mindsets and lack of demand. However, it is her wish to offer advice and support to people of all demographics with the hope that they can grow businesses, enjoy peace of mind and retire with confidence.

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Eddie Amaitum

Faculty of Arts

Eddie Amaitum strongly believes that Africa’s youth are key to finding solutions to some of the continent’s pressing challenges and must actively be engaged in its transformation. Seeking to empower other youth, he co-published a book titled Glow Within, and founded Achieve Uganda, a community program focused on supporting underprivileged young people through entrepreneurship. Under Eddie’s leadership, Achieve Uganda has expanded to the entire community, with program alumni setting up businesses and taking on community leadership roles. He is also deeply passionate about entrepreneurship, education and the environment. While attending St. Maria Goretti Secondary School in Mpigi, Uganda, Eddie volunteered extensively, spearheading the “Go Green Project” which focused on tree planting as a conservation strategy, and taking on a peer counselling role that included HIV/AIDS prevention and substance abuse.

Eddie hopes to set up a company to contribute to his country’s economy and support youth through job creation and skills-building. He is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts undergraduate degree at the University of British Columbia.

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Anagabah Sally Asu

Faculty of Forestry

For Sally, the transition from her school in Cameroon to the world renowned African Leadership Academy (ALA) in South Africa was a monumental leap in her academic journey. The combination of Sally’s strong sense of social awareness and natural talent for studying the sciences has shaped her into a uniquely insightful student – something that is greatly exemplified by her leadership at Agrinovation, a social enterprise aimed at providing healthy and organically grown produce to the community. Outside the classroom, Sally was a star middle blocker on her competitive volleyball team at the ALA. Sally has set tremendous goals for her country and for herself. She plans on combining her passion for change with the technical training she will receive at UBC to combat hunger, disease and improve life expectancy in her community. Her mission is to eventually build at least fifty five well-equipped research laboratories in Africa to conduct research on agriculture and pandemic research.

Currently enrolled into UBC’s prestigious Faculty of Forestry, she hopes to gain technical skills that will enable her better manage forest resources back in her home country and across the world. She is also keen on the issue of sustainability and how managing resources effectively could have a tremendous impact on climate change. Her mission is to eventually set-up well-equipped labs in forest rich areas around Africa where good forest practices can be prototyped and then adapted widely.

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Lemlem Taye Degefie

Faculty of Science

Lemlem is both a passionate advocate and grateful beneficiary of the power of education. Her tenacity for learning paid off when she was awarded a scholarship to study at Sanford International School, where she became a top student. Lemlem ranked in the top three students at her school; and continued to pour her entirety into her studies despite having to brave a two hour commute each day in addition to her busy schoolwork schedule. Teachers have commended Lemlem for her immense talent for science and mathematics and have remarked her incredible work ethic. Lemlem also has been selected as one of the Yale Young African scholar to attend a high-intensity academic and leadership program designed for African students. Receiving this scholarship was the most meaningful inspirational moment she had where she attended different workshops, discussion lessons and seminars about issues that Africa is facing such as effect of GMO food and Foreign Aid in Africa. Lemlem was also involved with the Society for Women and Aids in Africa, as well as the Gender Club at her school. She is passionate about empowering and educating women about rights, health and freedom.

Lemlem is excited to be studying Science at UBC. She hopes to continue advocating education, while directing her studies towards health, disease and medicine. Lemlem’s personal goal is to raise awareness in society to address issues in her home country of Ethiopia, like AIDS research, mortality rate, poverty and job creation.

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Mariam Eji-Lasisi

Faculty of Science

Despite facing a number of financial and struggles throughout her schooling, Mariam’s goals for academic excellence and community service are crystal clear. Overcoming both financial and familial obstacles, Mariam earned a scholarship to study at Corona Secondary School for her brilliance and spirit. In the classroom, Mariam performed at an extremely high level, winning awards for her achievements in Biology, Chemistry, Geography and Information Technology.  Before coming to UBC, Mariam was involved in her school’s social initiative: Challenge 2020, a way for young individuals to identify and address socio-economic and environmental issues in the community. Mariam organized educational seminars and presented research about sustainability, global warming and the government’s role in these issues.

A Bachelor of Science degree will provide Mariam with the knowledge and skillset to pursue further studies – and eventually a career – in health and medicine. Mariam’s longtime goal is to open clinics that provide adequate healthcare for her community. She recognizes a need for change in the health care system and strives to return home to be the catalyst of this change.

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Brian Kiiza

Faculty of Arts

Brian’s academic career has been funded by a series of merit based scholarships; his work ethic and academic performance earned him a place at the International School of Uganda. Brian excelled at Chemistry and Mathematics, earning top marks for both these subjects while showing a keen interest in application and innovation. Brian also showed much interest in the realms of debate and public speaking through his involvement with the East Africa Model United Nations. He was chosen to attend a parliament meeting, where he presented a speech on the abhorrent issue of infant sacrifice, a cause for which he has shown passionate activism. Brian was a leader in a tree-planting initiative at his school, as well as a break-dancer and mural artist.

Brian’s wish to pursue a degree in Computer Science and Economics is indicative of his desire to provide solutions and motivation for his community. He believes that development is possible through sound leadership, education and resource management. Brian will work to end the poverty cycle in Uganda by implementing strategies for energy conservation, agricultural innovation and sustainability.

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Protus Lang’at

Faculty of Arts

In the classroom, Protus has demonstrated great knowledge and promise in Sciences, Mathematics and Economics. He was given an opportunity to intern at Equity Bank-Kenya as a result of his extraordinary performance where he developed skills in economics, finance and  client relations in the work environment. As a result, Protus is deeply passionate about pursuing studies in economics. He was also an active participant in Freedom From Hunger Walk where he had the opportunity to fight chronic hunger in Kenya.  He mentored high school graduates at Equity African Leaders Program (EALP) before coming to UBC.

It is Protus’ belief that underprivileged regions in Kenya do not lack potential, but rather people. He hopes to study micro-finance in order to devise long lasting solutions to poverty. He believes in using men and women to their fullest potential and reducing the trepidation and uncertainties of cash management and small businesses. He is also excited about the prospect of collaboration and recognizes the need for camaraderie and teamwork in a project like this.

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Tadiwanashe Keith Macheka

Faculty of Applied Science

Tadiwa earned a scholarship at the Harare International School to complete an IB Diploma. Tadiwa has shown talent in multiple areas of academic study, earning praises for both his work in the sciences and humanities. Tadiwa’s desire for community service exceeds the walls of his school. As a result of the family struggles in his adolescence, Tadiwa was inspired to become a prominent member of the Interact Club, a local chapter of the Rotary Club. As treasurer, he took on the responsibility of financial allocation and leadership, and focused particularly on fundraising efforts and charity projects.

A Bachelor of Applied Science in Chemical Engineering will equip Tadiwa with the skills to continue serving the people of his country. As a well-rounded individual, there is no doubt that Tadiwa will take a cross-disciplinary, multi-faceted approach at addressing community issues such as hunger, shelter, medical services and economics.  Tadiwa’s goal is to provide solutions for Zimbabwe to optimize their resources and make sustainable economic decisions that will benefit the land and people.

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Prudence Nakawooya

Faculty of Applied Science

In the classroom, Prudence has been praised and rewarded for her elite academic achievements. In addition to her prowess in physics and math, she has a special interest in finance and accounting studies. She has been known to take leadership in class discussions and assume the role of a mentor to her peers. Prudence was a leader in both the Writers Club and Science Club at her school. In addition to event coordination and financial planning, Prudence took the time to encourage fellow members of these groups to improve their skills. Prudence has served as a coordinator for the Young Christian Society which focused on outreach and service events such as educating and feeding children from underprivileged areas.

Prudence believes that Civil Engineering will allow her to combine her academic interests with her vision for the community. She is determined to use her expertise to improve physical surroundings create opportunities for economic and social improvement in her home country. She is also focused on a goal to further her knowledge of financial management, an area of interest she also hopes to incorporate into her hopes for the Uganda’s future.

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Shazmeen Omar

Faculty of Land and Food Systems

Throughout the completion of her IB Diploma, Shazmeen has excelled in Biology, earning top grades in the subject. Shazmeen also has a gift for Language, Composition and Literature and she is an avid debater and has been recognized as an outstanding public speaker. Beyond the realms of academia, Shazmeen has shown significant commitment to health and community related initiatives. She was he co-organizer of the “Fresh Juice for Fresh Paint” Campaign, an event at which she sold fresh juice to raise awareness and funds for the bad living conditions of orphanages around the city. Shazmeen was also a frequent volunteer at the Ocean Road Cancer Institute to assist kitchen staff in packing and delivering meals to patients.

Shazmeen’s love for her community will be a driving force as she pursues her career in Health and Nutrition. Shazmeen wants to bring about change in neglected areas like her birthplace of Newala – a small district in south Tanzania – by creating awareness to help the locals understand the importance of a balanced diet. She envisions working in a medical institution, implementing nutritional education programs and working in the Ministry of Health of Tanzania to impact food laws.

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Agnes (Aggie) Ouko

Faculty of Science

Agnes has been praised for her intellectual curiosity and academic integrity and has excelled in a variety of subjects: English, Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry. Outside the classroom, Agnes served as a mentor with Wings to Fly, an organization which is part of the Equity Group Foundation. Agnes was inspired and motivated by her troubled past to provide academic and emotional support to those in difficult situations similar to her own. In addition, Agnes was a volunteer at her church and was involved with their outreach program for orphaned children with HIV/AIDS. Besides her volunteer endeavors, Agnes has shown interest and aptitude for extra-curricular science projects, athletics and environmental work. Agnes is well aware of Kenya’s challenges in the realm of technological development. She cites the 2013 election – which saw an attempted implantation of an electronic voting system – as a prime example of these challenges.

Agnes hopes to use the expertise gained from a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science to move Kenya into the right direction. She plans to work for the Kenyan government to advocate and facilitate technological growth. She is excited at the opportunity to educate young computer scientists in Kenya and provide them with wholesome and applicable instruction.

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Sharon Shamuyarira

Sauder School of Business

As a student, Sharon won a full scholarship to attend Harare International School, from which she earned her IB Diploma and was named Salutatorian. During the IB program, Sharon showed immense critical thinking and writing skills especially in business management which she takes great interest. Taking advantage of her time at Harare, Sharon immersed herself in the extra-curricular activities. Sharon wrote for her school newspaper and served as treasurer of the student council. Sharon has been heavily involved in service for the disabled, elderly and underprivileged. She has represented her school in the National Junior Parliament and served as President of the Interact Club receiving an Outstanding Service Award.

At UBC, Sharon is enrolled in the Bachelor of Commerce program with the aim to acquire business management knowledge to work locally to develop strategies for economic growth, and in particular, empower young women in business through the South African Development Community. She wants to focus on job creation for women in her region and devise a program to provide loans for female entrepreneurs.

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Left to Right: Cassandra Adjetey, Mariam Eji-Lasisi, Shazmeen Omar, Brian Bizza, Agnes Ouko, Protus Lang’at, Tadiwa Macheke, Prudence Nakawooya, Sharon Shamuyaria, Lemlem Degefie, Sally Asu- MCF Graduation Celebration 2019

Lynnet Akech

Faculty of Arts

Lynnet’s excellent academic performance earned her a Constituency Bursary to attend the Alliance Girls School in Kenya.  As straight-A student, she was consistently ranked among the top students throughout her four years at secondary school, and sees her attendance at UBC as a symbol of hope for girls like herself, who were raised in slums and faced many barriers to education.  Akech’s extra-curricular record reflects her passion for helping her community.  She was a member of the Akinah organization, comprised of 20 girls, whose main focus is to collect materials from members of the community to donate to a local children’s home.  She was an active member of the Kenya Red Cross Society, where she participated in educating her community on disaster management and aversion, and helped to provide shelter and clothing to people living in Kenya’s slums.  Lynnet is studying Economics and pursuing a Bachelor of Arts at UBC.

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Ani Nkiru Oluchukwu

Faculty of Arts

Ani has grown up in Nigeria, and believes that “there is no greater service than that to a fellow human.”  As a member of Wavecrest Study Centre for Girls and an active participant in her school’s annual holiday charity projects, she visited hospital patients to assist in their daily care, and travelled to impoverished neighbourhoods to provide health products and seminars on hygiene and healthy living.  She has an outstanding academic track record, and was the first student in the history of Rainbow College to score the highest possible score of A1 in English Language, as well as her other courses across Arts and Science.  She served as Head Girl, and earned the title of valedictorian in 2009-10.  Having gained a deeper understanding of economics as an intern at ARM Pensions in Lagos, she believes that poverty must be tackled with unprejudiced social, political, and economic policies and principles.  She hopes to become an economist focused on issues of poverty and inequalities not only in Nigeria, but throughout Africa, impacting the rest of the world.  She is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts at UBC.

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Joseph Banda

Faculty of Forestry

Joseph is a graduate of Chizongwe Technical Secondary School in Zambia. His keen interest in forestry and agriculture comes from his experience working to improve his family’s farm yields, as well as working together with members of his village to improve safety and quality of living, especially in the face of challenges posed by heavy rains. He has worked as a Peer Educator focusing on HIV/AIDS prevention education, and organized events for the local community, including inviting doctors to lead seminars in his village. His long-term career goals are to be part of the Zambia Forest Management Board to help improve the management of precious yet limited forestry resources through sustainable development as a key to poverty reduction, enhancing prosperity, and protecting our planet.  After researching UBC’s initiatives in Africa, he feels that pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Forestry at UBC will be an excellent step in achieving his goals.

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Libia Niyodusenga

Faculty of Arts

Libia is a graduate of Liquidnet High School at Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village, Rwanda.  A self-described curious person, he possesses an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, from academics to agriculture, world-famous natural sites and human-made structures.  Dedicated to sharing his love of learning, Libia volunteered in his community to teach English to primary school students.  He was drawn to UBC because of its excellence in multidisciplinary research, as his own experience with subsistence farming in Rwanda has emphasized the connections between agriculture, malnutrition, economic inflation, and international relations.  He is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts at UBC, with a particular interest in economics.

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Juma Orach

Faculty of Science

Fundamentally driven by the belief that “There is simply no greater, nobler purpose to science than the preservation of life”; Juma has been fascinated with Health sciences and research since childhood. He began conducting his own research on elementary Microbiology and Geology as a hobby. Later on at St Mary’s College Kisubi, he become involved in the Science and Technology Innovations Challenge in his home country of Uganda. Responding to needs in his own community, he designed an artificially intelligent robotics project (HYDRA 256) that focused on curbing water-borne diseases and solving other water-related issues. Academically driven, he emerged as the top student in O and A Levels while attending St Mary’s College Kisubi, and regularly wrote informative health articles for the school’s magazine. He looks forward to studying in an internationally renowned institution, stating that UBC’s outstanding facilities are only matched by his own enthusiasm for innovation, research, and overall passion for science. Juma is pursuing a Bachelor of Science, focussing on Microbiology and Immunology with the ultimate goal of one day becoming a doctor.

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Akua (Nana) Sakyi

Faculty of Arts

There is an African Proverb that says “If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Akua’s time at UBC has been a reminiscent of this proverb. At UBC, she has been involved in various extracurricular activities such as being the VP Finance of the Africa Awareness Initiative, a student run organization that aims to further the discourse of the African Continent on campus through discussions and conferences. She was also a student leader for UBC Reading Week Community Project, a Residence Advisor, an Assistant at the Chapman Learning Commons and a Community Animator at the Simon K. Y. Lee Global Lounge Resource Centre, a space where she learned, unlearned and relearned what it means a global citizen. Akua’s involvement and academic performance made her the recipient of the Faculty of Arts International Student Scholarship and International Community Achievement Award (Vancouver campus). She hopes that with a degree in Economics and Mathematics, minor Commerce, she would contribute to the growth of the continent of Africa as an Economist and create a space with after school programs where students are supported to tap into their fullest potential.

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Phanes Scotch

Sauder School of Business

Scotch graduated from Kisumu Girl’s High School in Kenya, where she spent much of her spare time volunteering with children at the orphanage, a place where she feels most at home.  Her passion for community involvement has led her to work with the Independent Electoral Boundaries Commission (IEBC) in the registration of voters during the general election process.  She was highly involved with the March 2013 Kenyan Elections where she registered voters, made registration cards, delivered daily reports, and actively encouraged everyone to participate in the election process.  Scotch is passionate about business and entrepreneurship, and her long-term career goals are to become a finance executive and run her own business.  She acknowledges the difficulties of the environment where she grew up, and is confident that her UBC education will allow her to become an excellent entrepreneur, capable of identifying and filling market gaps while working closely with a network of business partners.  Scotch is pursuing a Bachelor of Commerce at UBC, and is looking forward to majoring in Finance.

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Retsepile Sello

Faculty of Applied Science

Retsepile won a competitive scholarship to study at Waterford Kamhlaba United World College of Southern Africa in Swaziland.  She has a great passion for community service, and has been actively involved in initiatives to support the people around her, including the Community Entrepreneurship Development Club, where she offered one-on-one support with a community member in order to establish a successful market.  Retsepile is interested in studying Mining Engineering at UBC, as improving environmental outcomes of mining processes is one of her greatest values.  She hopes to one day start her own company in Lesotho, where she can contribute to her country’s economy and improve the current standards of living.  She is also committed to creating volunteering opportunities for youth in her local community, as she believes there is nothing more rewarding.  Retsepile is pursuing a Bachelor of Applied Science at UBC.

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Mercy Wanalo

Faculty of Land and Food Systems 

Mercy is a Mastercard Foundation Scholar from Kenya. She graduated from UBC with a Bachelor’s degree in Food Nutrition and Health. Mercy is passionate about Global Health and Nutrition and hopes to use her knowledge and experiences to improve health outcomes by informing effective, evidence based policy.  Inspired by her Internship with PATH where she co-authored the very first human milk banking guidelines for Kenya, she hopes to learn more about the policy environment within global health and collaborate on health-related research projects. Mercy is looking for challenging opportunities in the health and nutrition field.

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Abenezer Woldehana

Faculty of Applied Science

Abenezer is in his final year of Bachelor’s degree in Applied Sciences specializing in Power Systems and Power Electronics Engineering. He was born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where he successfully completed the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program at Sandford International School. Throughout his childhood, he has experienced constant power cuts and power shortage problems due to ill-maintained power distribution and transmission systems across the city. This sparked his interest to study Electrical Engineering to understand the root causes and provide solution. As part of his career development, he interned at Sanergy in Nairobi, Kenya; where he did a feasibility study on various desalination technologies and recommended on how to proceed with liquid waste treatment. He also managed to build a low-cost remote monitoring device from scratch to control key parameters of a Nitrification Reactor. For his second internship, he went back to his home country to work with a team of Engineers at Addis Ababa Institute of Technology on a project that aims to design, prototype and manufacture Electric Vehicles locally. There, he thoroughly investigated technologies that are being used in modern Electric Vehicles focusing on electrical sensors and selected appropriate ones.

Abenezer plans to use his knowledge and experience acquired throughout his Undergraduate degree to help make positive impact on society. His interests include power systems, power electronics, hardware designing and troubleshooting. He is a curious and  optimistic person.

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Left to Right: Lynnet Akech, Ani Nkiru, Joseph Banda, Libia Niyodusenga, Juma Orach, Phanes Scotch, Nana Akua Sakyi, Ret’sepille Sello, Mercy Wanalo, Abenezer Woldehana- MCF Graduation Celebration 2018

Tamara Lottering

Bachelor in Cognitive Systems, Cognition and Brain

Faculty of Science

Tamara comes from the Maru-a-Pula (MaP) school in Botswana, where she completed her secondary education with the support of the renowned Allan Gray Orbis scholarship. Tamara’s values lie in helping her community work together to improve their quality of life. She has exhibited great leadership in school and community initiatives including the MaP recycling team’s efforts to promote a healthier campus, and the “Eduvolunteers” team to tutor students in government-assisted secondary schools. Tamara has given back to her school as a Teacher’s Aide in the Science department and has been commended for her maturity, sincerity and reliability. She believes that “Africa needs innovative and pro-active ‘change-agents’ to overcome its challenges” and seeks to study Public Health to contribute to her country. At UBC, Tamara pursued a Bachelor of Science in Cognitive Systems.

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Brian Mukeswe

Bachelor in Electrical Engineering

Faculty of Applied Science

At UBC Brian was involved in student leadership as the president of the Africa Awareness Initiative, a student run organization at UBC that promotes inclusive dialogue about Africa on campus; as well as a Community Animator at the Simon K Y Lee Global Lounge, a space on campus that facilitates dialogue and collaboration among globally minded student groups. In addition, he was the Technology Co-chair at the UBC African Business Club, another student led organization that creates a platform for industry professionals and students to discuss enterprise on the African Continent. Brian has been involved in undergraduate research and some of his notable work includes a project aiming to make assistive hearing technologies more accessible and affordable; this research has been the recipient of many awards including the UBC International Service Learning award. Brian also speaks five languages and has a keen interest in effecting social change through entrepreneurship, and using engineering solutions cultivated through his studies in Electrical Engineering and Commerce.

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Teboho Sefuthi

Bachelor in Chemical Engineering

Faculty of Applied Science

Teboho is a determined and highly gifted individual, and one of the top students of the Cambridge Overseas School Certificate (COSC) from Lesotho.  He has exhibited high levels of dedication to his academics and is a natural thinker and problem solver. Teboho has been able to apply his interest in chemistry to increase awareness of how the environment and climatic changes affect local farming. He has worked with the Ministry of Agriculture in setting up farming workshops for different communities, and is pursuing Chemical Engineering to expand on his efforts to give back to his country. Teboho believes that small contributions can have major impacts on someone’s life, and dedicates his free time to volunteering at a local orphanage.

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Johnston Kirimo

Bachelor in Business Technology Management

Sauder School of Business

Johnston comes from Kilifi, a coastal town north of Mombasa, Kenya. Has pursued a Bachelor of commerce, specializing in Business Technology Management and Accounting, at the UBC Sauder School of Business. During his time at UBC, he participated in the Sauder Social Entrepreneurship (SSE) Program – a four-week program aimed at imparting fundamentals of entrepreneurship to youth living in the slums of Kibera and Mathare in Kenya. He plans to utilize his background in commerce to become a serial entrepreneur and help fellow young people develop an entrepreneurial culture. He strongly believes that entrepreneurship will empower people living in disadvantaged conditions to seek out opportunities that will enable them to be financially free, hence reduce poverty in the country.  This will eventually transform the economy by steering it towards more equitable growth. He has also just completed an internship at the Competition Authority of Kenya, a government body mandated to ensure market efficiency and consumer protection in the country. Outside of school, he enjoys running and playing soccer to stay fit and healthy. He has been involved with UBC Intermural and is a long time member of the Africa Awareness Chiefs soccer team.Johnston is currently working before planning to joining graduate school to pursue an MBA program.

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Patrick Munyurangabo

Bachelor in Food, Nutrition and Health

Faculty of Land and Food Systems

Patrick is a motivated and hardworking individual, who, as a member of the Agahozo Shalom Youth Village, completed his secondary education with courage, resilience and determination, before coming to UBC. He has been heavily involved in a number of voluntary initiatives that seek to improve the conditions of his community. In high school, he was part of a program called “TIKKUN OLAM”, Hebrew for “Heal the World,” where he helped to secure food, shelter and life insurance for the most vulnerable members of the district. Patrick has continued to support his community through initiatives such as “One Laptop per Child” that teaches children how to use laptops, and “One Acre Fund” that helps farmers increase their yield. After graduation in Bachelor of Science in Land & Food Systems, Patrick will go back to Rwanda to give back all he learned from his time at UBC to his country by working with local farmers as a way to fight hunger and malnutrition.

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Four of our undergraduate scholars celebrating their graduation in April 2017.