U.S. Embassy Kigali Hosts Inaugural U.S. Embassy College Fair for Rwandan Students

{{Friday, the U.S. Embassy hosted its first-ever college fair for Rwandan students who want to study at U.S. institutions of higher learning at the embassy compound in Kacyiru. More than 200 Rwandan students, educators and education officials attended the event.}}

Featured Friday were representatives from five U.S. partner institutions of The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program. Representatives from Duke University, Michigan State University, Stanford University, the University of California at Berkeley, and Wellesley College all gave presentations on their respective institutions and answered questions from Rwandan students eager to learn more about studying in the United States.

The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program is a $500 million, 10-year program to educate and prepare young people – especially those from Africa —to attend partner universities in the United States and to return to make positive changes in their home communities.

U.S. Embassy Kigali Deputy Chief of Mission Jessica Lapenn told the students who gathered for the event that “At its core, the Embassy role is to facilitate and build connections between the United States and Rwanda.”

She added that one of the best ways these connections are built and mutual understanding is fostered is through education exchange. “For us, that is what this college fair is about.”

The U.S. Embassy in Kigali provides myriad resources for Rwandan students hoping to study in the United States. The embassy’s EducationUSA advisor, Richard Kaburente, conducts regular advising sessions for interested Rwandan students.

He details the steps students who hope to study in the U.S. should take and connects them with scholarship opportunities. For more information about student advising at the U.S. Embassy, visit this website:

http://rwanda.usembassy.gov/education_usa.html

The U.S. Embassy’s Information Resource Center also contains many books on how to apply for university in the U.S., how to find scholarships and practice books for the TOEFL, SAT, GMAT and other standardized tests.