The Departure of Davis College Founding President Aline Kabanda

After eight incredible years with Akilah and now Davis College, I am transitioning to the next phase of my career.

I joined the founding team at Akilah when we had three classrooms and 100 students. Working with this team has been the greatest privilege and blessing. As the organization has grown, I have grown, learned, and changed as a leader alongside it. Akilah is truly a part of me.

Aline (center) pictured with Akilah Institute students.

After a decade of building Akilah, we knew that it was time to extend access to young men. The launch of Davis College replicates our academic model in a co-ed context while preserving the unique environment for female leaders at Akilah.

Last year, I began designing a plan with Elizabeth, our CEO, and the executive team, to transition my responsibilities to a successor. Of course, no one foresaw the COVID-19 pandemic and the far-reaching impact it would have on our institution.

Since March, our team has worked tirelessly to transition our programs online and support our students’ health and emotional well-being during the lockdown in Rwanda. We delayed the announcement of my departure in order to focus on crisis management.

To say the last 8 years have been an incredible journey, from start to finish, is a true understatement. I look forward to contributing in a new capacity as a member of the Board of Directors. I will continue to be the greatest advocate for the work we have done together, and a supporter of our mission to educate the next generation of leaders, for the rest of my life.

I am excited that my longtime colleague, Paul Swaga, will serve in the role of Interim President of Davis College. His ethical leadership and unwavering dedication to our mission exemplifies our culture code principle Seek to Serve.

Paul brings over 20 years of teaching experience to this role, and he has served as a key leader of our academic team for six years. In 2014, Paul joined Akilah as an English and Leadership instructor, was appointed Head of the Core Department in 2016, and served as Co-Academic Director in 2019. He holds a Master’s in Mass Communication from Jomo Kenyatta University, and a Bachelor of Education and Diploma in Education from Makerere University and Kyambogo University, respectively. Prior to joining Davis College and the Akilah Institute, Paul was the Head of Languages at Riviera High School, Rwanda, the Head of Languages at Mehta Secondary School in Uganda, and Coordinator of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award for Young People in the Mehta Group of Companies.

I feel tremendous pride as I pass the leadership responsibilities to Paul, whom I know will work hand-in-hand with each of you to lead the college successfully forward. Please join me in congratulating Paul!

I cannot begin to count the number of things that I will miss about Akilah:graduation and our shared sense of purpose, pride and accomplishments, all the times you popped into my office when you needed guidance or support, the Monday morning laughter I could hear from faculty offices, the team competitions and crazy dances during our get togethers. I look forward to hearing and seeing the profound impact our work will continue to have on our students and alumni.

Witnessing the impact of our work first-hand has been priceless, and I will be forever grateful for doing so alongside each of you.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for supporting me.

Aline Kabanda

July 8, 2020