From our Team: Allen Ingabire Reflects on our Decennial Gala & Ten Years of Akilah
Akilah Alumna Allen Ingabire shares her weekly blog while traveling in the US with the Davis | Akilah team
Written by Allen Ingabire ‘17
There are many ways to celebrate Akilah’s achievements but there is really only one fun way of celebrating Akilah’s ten year anniversary. With a huge party!
Being selected as one of the alumnae to represent Akilah at the Decennial Celebration Week in Florida was one of the most exciting things that happened to me in 2019. When the application to travel to the US opened, I didn’t pay attention to it because my department was very busy at the time (after graduating from Akilah in 2017, I joined Akilah’s marketing team in 2018). I even sent the link to my friends and classmates asking them to apply because I was convinced that it wasn’t a good time for me. One day, I asked my friend, Sonia, if she applied and she told me that she didn’t apply because she was very busy at work, as well. We told funny stories about how we should apply since we were both Akilah Founder’s Award winners in 2017. (This is an award that is given to students who best uphold Akilah’s culture and the Community Pledge). That same day we applied and luckily we were both selected out of 100 applicants to be interviewed.
Being selected meant so much to me and it reminded me that I am and will always be an Akilah Ambassador. Ever since I joined Akilah, I have been an Akilah Ambassador, attending different events, representing the whole student body, and participating in school donor visits, and I have enjoyed all of that because I had the chance to share the experiences I’ve had at Akilah. But I had never traveled abroad with the role. When I was chosen as one of 5 alumnae to go to the US, I couldn’t believe it until I boarded the plane!
Just landed at the airport in Tampa with Akilah’s Director of Development Holly Habimana, and my fellow Ambassadors (L-R) Parfaite Wirira ’18, Sonia Rugwiro ’17, & Rose Muhumuza ‘17! This was my first trip to the US.
Tampa is the most beautiful place and we were so welcomed by our amazing hosts who took us around and showed us the city.
My fellow Ambassador Sonia Rugwiro ’17 looking so elegant wearing a Rwandan Mushanana.
I couldn’t wait to see what the gala would be like. It completely took my breath away and surpassed all of our expectations. Everyone dressed beautifully in gowns and suits and black ties, and my fellow ambassadors entered the room like princesses from Rwanda. Sonia looked so elegant wearing a Mushanana which is special Rwandan traditional attire for great ceremonies.
Of course it was very special, not just because everyone dressed beautifully, but because everyone came to support the whole Davis College team and our plan for the next 10 years as we expand to educate one million students across 10 campuses in Africa and Asia. Everyone I met wanted to know what my experience had been like as a student at Akilah. I had so much to tell them because Akilah is not just a campus where I went to complete my studies. It has become a community, a family where we are all connected through shared experiences, where we learned new skills, and saw ourselves improving each and everyday.
Akilah has empowered so many women like me, building confidence in us so we can build great careers and make a difference in our families and country. Jobs that most of us do now simply did not exist in Rwanda in the past five years, or were considered men’s jobs — Akilah has helped remove those kinds of barriers for us and given us so many opportunities.
I met so many wonderful friends and supporters of Davis | Akilah from around the world!
“This is the greatest gala I’ve ever been to,” a friend that I met that night from Tampa told me. I looked at her and I said, “I thought every gala in the US looks like this!” She looked at me and said, “ No, this gala is special.” We danced the night away and the evening was nothing short of a huge success.
I can’t wait for more Decennial events next year. Check here for more info!
These are some of my favorite and most inspiring women in the world (L-R): Akilah alumna Parfaite Wirira ’18, Davis | Akilah CEO & Co-Founder Elizabeth Dearborn Hughes, Akilah alumna Sonia Rugwiro ’17, Akilah alumna Rose Muhumuza ’17, Akilah Boardmember (and my amazing mentor!) Dr. Carmen Nibigira, Akilah alumna Nadine Niyitegeka ’13, Davis | Akilah Chief Academic Officer Dr. Cristi Ford, and Davis College Rwanda President Aline Kabanda.