Journey to University: William
The internship has been so impactful in my life. It has built my confidence and allowed me to give back to my community and learn from professionals.
My name is Nsibuka William, I am one of the five students who were selected to join the Action in Africa University scholarship program this year. Ahead of the start of my University program in August, I have been interning at Action in Africa for the past three months. I have been a Secondary Scholarship recipient for the last seven years. I look forward to joining the university through Action in Africa’s University Scholarship program to pursue my dream career in civil engineering. My experience has been amazing ever since I walked into The Center in 2016 and participated in different programs like the spelling bee, salsa dance classes, Ganda dance training, and others.
My academic journey was so challenging before applying for the Secondary Scholarship program due to the school fees challenges I was facing then. After I completed my primary level, I doubted the possibility of my continuation to the secondary level. That is why I was so pleasantly surprised one afternoon when my mum brought home the AIA scholarship form for me to fill out in 2016. That was also when I started visiting The Action in Africa Center.
I was a bit nervous on my arrival at AIA. There were very many students in the various programs that I had never seen before. Despite my nervousness, I was so proud of myself because, on my very first day, I emerged as the spelling bee champion in one of the programs facilitated by Aunt Juliana. This gave me a lot more confidence to continue participating in more programs from then onwards. My guiding principles in life have always been being God-fearing, respectful, inquisitive, and hardworking. I believe that it is those values that have brought me this far.
The AIA center has been and will always be my home away from home. My goal in life is to be a good example to my siblings and make the rest of the family proud, reaching this far has not been easy but I am so humbled to have made it. It is not easy to keep consistency academically and discipline. I am thankful to the entire AIA community for guiding and encouraging me from the time I joined AIA to date. The internship program has been even more educative because I have learned many professional work values and IT skills that are crucial in pursuing my intended career as a civil engineer.
I have learned a lot in the many activities I have engaged in during my internship at AIA, one of the most memorable experiences was the tree planting activity in different schools which I am proud of because I got to contribute to the protection of my environment. Facilitating sessions for students like the spelling bee during the holiday program, reading novels, personality building through sessions with program managers like guidance and counseling, effective planning, effective time management, finding ways to solve problems through critical thinking, business management, communication, and office etiquette among others. The internship has been so impactful in my life. It has built my confidence and allowed me to give back to my community and learn from professionals.
As I take this next step in my life, I am truly grateful for the kindness of the AIA community and the generosity that has enabled me to realize my dreams. Your support has been remarkable in my journey. Asante!
