From Arkansas to Rwanda: Hendrix College and the Presidential Scholars Program for Rwandan Students
By Heather Newell, ED3
The campus of Hendrix College, a small liberal arts college in Conway, Arkansas and my alma mater, is lined with wide and expansive green oak trees, crunchy pecans underneath the wooden benches, and cohesive, red-bricked buildings that add to the already homey atmosphere of our community. My college is a tight-knit collection of people and places and things. Conway is the home of Toad Suck Daze (an annual town fair complete with fried Oreos and an unlimited supply of greasy, albeit delicious, food options) and Kris Allen, an American Idol winner from a few years back.
I remember witnessing the start of Hendrix’s partnership with Rwanda while I was a student. A group of Rwandans stepped onto our campus with 4 year scholarships, a fully-packed schedule in the math and sciences, and ready to share their traditions, particularly with the always awe-inspiring cow dance (that they performed often at school talent shows). Once, I even did a Habit for Humanity trip in central Alabama with a group of the Rwandan students and we talked at length about their culture the whole car ride back—I asked about their language, about the Genocide (was probably far more insensitive than I meant to be), and what it was like for them to study abroad for four years in the USA. Though I fully realized how exciting and incredible the partnership was for everybody, (for the Rwandans, but cross-culturally, for us as American students as well), I never imagined that our worlds would collide later down the road.
Hendrix’s partnership with the Ministry of Education (MINEDUC) is unique but not something you can only find at Hendrix College – eighteen other colleges and universities are a part of the consortium called the Presidential Scholarship Program. Each year, representatives from all schools involved come to Kigali, Rwanda in pursuit of selecting anywhere from 50-80 students to receive scholarships to study in the States. These students are selected among seniors of secondary school who score highly on the National Exam from the previous year, and the scholarships are funded by MINEDUC and the individual universities. Some schools will allot about half-funded tuitions, but Hendrix, for example, provides full tuition, room and board, with MINEDUC supplying money for additional stipends, plane tickets, and other necessary amounts the students need. The purpose of the partnership is to build leaders for Rwanda—after four years of studying in America, these top Rwandan students are required to come back to their homeland and work in a field to share the knowledge they gain, develop, and apply while they are abroad. The students even do an internship during their experience and are given funds to return back to Rwanda to visit family and friends while they are away.
It’s an amazing program; Hendrix College and the leader of the program, Peter Gess (director of International Programs at the college) has received a great deal of recognition for what the program has done to reach out to the international community and participate in a transformative cross—cultural opportunity. And from first-hand experience, I know how beneficial it was in and out of the classroom to have different ideas, backgrounds, and cultures. The Rwandan students are gaining access to a dream that I know PCV’s hear all the time--I want to study in America—and the entire community is gaining a new perspective on a different culture and approach to life. It’s a cross cultural exchange at its finest.
I received an email earlier this year in January from Mr. Gess who expressed an interest in me helping with interviews and the selection process of Rwandan students when the contingency for Hendrix came to Kigali. With my Hendrix background and my PCV life in Rwanda, they felt like I could make a meaningful contribution to this part of the program. I eagerly responded, yes! There would be no question. Sometimes bits and pieces of your life really do come back together and it’s in these moments that you have to jump and take advantage; what a blessing to bring two important parts of my life together and from that will be able to see some Rwandan lives become transformed forever.
The handful of days that I spent at Kigali Institute of Education (KIE)the location of where we conducted interviews, were a whirlwind of informative and incredibly heart-warming interactions. I met some pretty phenomenal students ranging from young leaders who had started newspapers at their school, impassioned students who were well-versed in literature from Martin Luther King Jr., to girls who understood the importance of self-esteem and gender balance. This was indeed a fine crop of the youthful generation of Rwanda. While most of the week I was in interviews with students asking questions about their goals, ability to adapt to new cultures, and discuss how they wanted to apply their education, I also had a special opportunity to participate in break-out sessions.
The process is not any easy one; to be eligible to interview, Rwandan students first had to receive high marks on the national exam. The Presidential Scholars Program that Hendrix is a part of focuses on bringing students to the US who have a particular interest in math and the sciences, such as physics or chemistry. So, based on the scores and programs of interest, a pool of students is invited to take a general exam to test English proficiency. After narrowing down the group based on how the students perform on the English exam, those students are then called to complete an interview with a panel of representatives from colleges in the US. This is the last part of a long and rigorous application process.
Before interviews started, we had a girls’ conference with the female applicants who were eligible to interview. We met at a beautiful church in Kigali, and listened to eight Rwandan female leaders who had started their own businesses, had worked in journalism (particularly with the newspaper Ni Nyampinga), and had children who studied abroad. They gave advice and insight in how to interview, how to have self-confidence, and how to stay motivated no matter what happens in this very special process. To see girls with such high achievements while still being so young was truly inspiring and made me feel hopeful for the next batch of leaders that Rwanda has growing and budding on the horizon. We ultimately only selected about a fourth of eligible students, but without question, these young men and women will be the ones contributing to their country long after they finish their studies. What a testimony to the power of education.
I tried to encourage to all students that I met and interacted with that no matter what—whether they are selected to study in America or stay in Rwanda and study at NUR or wherever they choose to go—they are winners. They are capable, they are strong, and they should be proud of what they have done and what they will do in the future.
I was driven to Remera station to head back home out East on the last day, body full from delicious and free food from throughout the week and mind overwhelmed and also incredibly happy about what the week with the Hendrix-Rwanda program had brought. I was able to connect two things that I care deeply for, learn a lot about the education system of Rwanda, and could love on students that are on the cusp of taking big leaps and jumps into accomplishing their dreams. That was the biggest win of all.
To learn more about the history, structure, and selection process for the Presidential Scholarship program, visit http://www.hendrix.edu/rwanda. Below is an excerpt from the home page that summarizes Hendrix’ role in the program.
Hendrix College leads a consortium of 18 U.S. colleges and universities that work with the Rwandan government to provide four year, undergraduate scholarships to a select group of Rwanda’s best and brightest students. Hendrix serves as project coordinator for the consortium and is principally responsible for obtaining scholarship commitments, overseeing the student selection process, and administering the financial aspects of the program. The consortium is currently the largest provider of scholarships to the Rwanda Ministry of Education, with 125 students enrolled in undergraduate studies as of the fall semester 2011. The first four participants graduated from Hendrix in May 2011.
I remember witnessing the start of Hendrix’s partnership with Rwanda while I was a student. A group of Rwandans stepped onto our campus with 4 year scholarships, a fully-packed schedule in the math and sciences, and ready to share their traditions, particularly with the always awe-inspiring cow dance (that they performed often at school talent shows). Once, I even did a Habit for Humanity trip in central Alabama with a group of the Rwandan students and we talked at length about their culture the whole car ride back—I asked about their language, about the Genocide (was probably far more insensitive than I meant to be), and what it was like for them to study abroad for four years in the USA. Though I fully realized how exciting and incredible the partnership was for everybody, (for the Rwandans, but cross-culturally, for us as American students as well), I never imagined that our worlds would collide later down the road.
Hendrix’s partnership with the Ministry of Education (MINEDUC) is unique but not something you can only find at Hendrix College – eighteen other colleges and universities are a part of the consortium called the Presidential Scholarship Program. Each year, representatives from all schools involved come to Kigali, Rwanda in pursuit of selecting anywhere from 50-80 students to receive scholarships to study in the States. These students are selected among seniors of secondary school who score highly on the National Exam from the previous year, and the scholarships are funded by MINEDUC and the individual universities. Some schools will allot about half-funded tuitions, but Hendrix, for example, provides full tuition, room and board, with MINEDUC supplying money for additional stipends, plane tickets, and other necessary amounts the students need. The purpose of the partnership is to build leaders for Rwanda—after four years of studying in America, these top Rwandan students are required to come back to their homeland and work in a field to share the knowledge they gain, develop, and apply while they are abroad. The students even do an internship during their experience and are given funds to return back to Rwanda to visit family and friends while they are away.
It’s an amazing program; Hendrix College and the leader of the program, Peter Gess (director of International Programs at the college) has received a great deal of recognition for what the program has done to reach out to the international community and participate in a transformative cross—cultural opportunity. And from first-hand experience, I know how beneficial it was in and out of the classroom to have different ideas, backgrounds, and cultures. The Rwandan students are gaining access to a dream that I know PCV’s hear all the time--I want to study in America—and the entire community is gaining a new perspective on a different culture and approach to life. It’s a cross cultural exchange at its finest.
I received an email earlier this year in January from Mr. Gess who expressed an interest in me helping with interviews and the selection process of Rwandan students when the contingency for Hendrix came to Kigali. With my Hendrix background and my PCV life in Rwanda, they felt like I could make a meaningful contribution to this part of the program. I eagerly responded, yes! There would be no question. Sometimes bits and pieces of your life really do come back together and it’s in these moments that you have to jump and take advantage; what a blessing to bring two important parts of my life together and from that will be able to see some Rwandan lives become transformed forever.
The handful of days that I spent at Kigali Institute of Education (KIE)the location of where we conducted interviews, were a whirlwind of informative and incredibly heart-warming interactions. I met some pretty phenomenal students ranging from young leaders who had started newspapers at their school, impassioned students who were well-versed in literature from Martin Luther King Jr., to girls who understood the importance of self-esteem and gender balance. This was indeed a fine crop of the youthful generation of Rwanda. While most of the week I was in interviews with students asking questions about their goals, ability to adapt to new cultures, and discuss how they wanted to apply their education, I also had a special opportunity to participate in break-out sessions.
The process is not any easy one; to be eligible to interview, Rwandan students first had to receive high marks on the national exam. The Presidential Scholars Program that Hendrix is a part of focuses on bringing students to the US who have a particular interest in math and the sciences, such as physics or chemistry. So, based on the scores and programs of interest, a pool of students is invited to take a general exam to test English proficiency. After narrowing down the group based on how the students perform on the English exam, those students are then called to complete an interview with a panel of representatives from colleges in the US. This is the last part of a long and rigorous application process.
Before interviews started, we had a girls’ conference with the female applicants who were eligible to interview. We met at a beautiful church in Kigali, and listened to eight Rwandan female leaders who had started their own businesses, had worked in journalism (particularly with the newspaper Ni Nyampinga), and had children who studied abroad. They gave advice and insight in how to interview, how to have self-confidence, and how to stay motivated no matter what happens in this very special process. To see girls with such high achievements while still being so young was truly inspiring and made me feel hopeful for the next batch of leaders that Rwanda has growing and budding on the horizon. We ultimately only selected about a fourth of eligible students, but without question, these young men and women will be the ones contributing to their country long after they finish their studies. What a testimony to the power of education.
I tried to encourage to all students that I met and interacted with that no matter what—whether they are selected to study in America or stay in Rwanda and study at NUR or wherever they choose to go—they are winners. They are capable, they are strong, and they should be proud of what they have done and what they will do in the future.
I was driven to Remera station to head back home out East on the last day, body full from delicious and free food from throughout the week and mind overwhelmed and also incredibly happy about what the week with the Hendrix-Rwanda program had brought. I was able to connect two things that I care deeply for, learn a lot about the education system of Rwanda, and could love on students that are on the cusp of taking big leaps and jumps into accomplishing their dreams. That was the biggest win of all.
To learn more about the history, structure, and selection process for the Presidential Scholarship program, visit http://www.hendrix.edu/rwanda. Below is an excerpt from the home page that summarizes Hendrix’ role in the program.
Hendrix College leads a consortium of 18 U.S. colleges and universities that work with the Rwandan government to provide four year, undergraduate scholarships to a select group of Rwanda’s best and brightest students. Hendrix serves as project coordinator for the consortium and is principally responsible for obtaining scholarship commitments, overseeing the student selection process, and administering the financial aspects of the program. The consortium is currently the largest provider of scholarships to the Rwanda Ministry of Education, with 125 students enrolled in undergraduate studies as of the fall semester 2011. The first four participants graduated from Hendrix in May 2011.