USAP Zimbabwe Profiles
Since it's inception in 1999, USAP has helped tens of Zimbabwean students get accepted to top notch colleges in the United States. Some have since graduated and are working in various fields in the United States and elsewhere around the world and some have chosen to remain in academia at various instituations in the United States. There are over a hundred USAP students from Zimbabwe alone and each one of them has an amazing story to tell. Below are brief profiles of some of our students just to give you a glimpse of our diversity as a people as well as the diversity of our their career paths and futures.
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Itai David Njanji
College of Wooster '11
Unlike many other excellent students, Itai has exhibited a rare combination of talents both in the lecture room and on the sporting field. Prior to attending the College of Wooster, he was awarded a cricket scholarship from the Zimbabwe Cricket board. Amongst many achievements, he played for the Mashonaland district, Uprising Cricket Club and Universal Cricket Club and was invited several times to try for the respective Zimbabwe age national teams. Itai made history by being one of the few cricketers in the country to be awarded an additional academic scholarship to attend one of the elite schools in Zimbabwe, Gateway High School, where he represented the school in a tour to South Africa.
Being part of the student leadership and also the cricket captain, Itai championed the idea of diversity in his leadership positions. Upon joining the United States Achievers Program, Itai decided to pursue a career in actuary rather than being a professional cricketer. Consequently, he received a scholarship to attend the College of Wooster, where he is majoring in Mathematics. Currently Itai participates in a number of college activities which include the Black Student Association, Wooster Cricket Club and the Wooster Christian Club. Amongst many of his ambitions, Itai's dream is to see Africa united and living at her greatest potential as a continent.
Emmanuel Magara
Oberlin College '11
Before attending college in the United States, Emmanuel co-founded DAPIA Investments, a small company that sought to provide educational science software to rural Zimbabwean schools. Having witnessed the struggles young entrepreneurs faced in Zimbabwe's then hyperinflationary economy, he became interested in seeking ways to help promote development through a bottom-up entrepreneurial approach. In his sophomore year, he went back to Zimbabwe to meet university student community leaders and conducted a workshop on ways youth social entrepreneurs could use Internet tools to promote their ventures. He also established a social networking website to bring together social entrepreneurs around the world interested in Zimbabwe's sustainable development.
Emmanuel has worked on various leadership boards pertaining to development. During his term in office in the Zimbabwe Youth Parliament, Emmanuel served on a national committee geared towards improving cancer patients' access to healthcare. He is currently on the board of directors for the Oberlin Hot Meals, a non-profit that provides meals to the homeless and economically disadvantaged members of the Oberlin community. In addition, Emmanuel was instrumental in establishing the US-Canada World Bank's Youth Development Peace Network (YDP) chapter – a network of youth leaders working adjunct with the World Bank on youth-related issues. He was also a co-leader of Harambe Cameroon, a venture that sought to bring together students, businesses, non-profit organizations and the Cameroonian government in developing youth entrepreneurial ventures.
Among several awards and recognitions for his work, Emmanuel is an Oberlin College Entrepreneurship Scholar and a national Bonner Scholar. He is also a recipient of the Oberlin College Creativity and Leadership Award for his initiatives to promote youth entrepreneurship in Zimbabwe and the Shansi-In-Asia Award for his service project at an AIDS hospice in Penang, Malaysia. A talented chemist as well, Emmanuel was a recipient of the CRC Press Chemistry Award for excellence in Inorganic Chemistry, the Jewitt Fanning award for having "an unusual promise in Chemistry" and the Harrol Baker Scholarship for being an "outstanding" Biochemistry major.
Careerwise, competent in Chinese Mandarin and having traveled to and witnessed South Africa, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong's healthcare-provision challenges and successes, Emmanuel is interested in collaboratively working with experts from around the world to come up with effective African healthcare solutions. He is currently a forth-year pre-medical student at Oberlin College where he is doing an honors research on Alzheimer's Disease, majoring in Biochemistry with an East Asian Studies minor.
Nancy Kasvosve
University of Chicago '11
Nancy is a self motivated and ambitious young woman who is a recent graduate of the University of Chicago in Public Policy and Biology.
Academically her undergrad career was centered around studying breast cancer in women of African ancestry, an experience from which she developed and shaped her future professional goals. Nancy was awarded honors in Public Policy for her thesis entitled "The Challenges to Comprehensive Cancer Care in Black South African Women" and completed a cancer genetics project for her biology thesis entitled "Germline TP53 Mutations and Breast Cancer Risk in Women of African Ancestry."
Having spent her undergraduate career on a physician track, Nancy's career interests have slightly shifted since graduation but still remaining in healthcare. She is aspiring to be a global health consultant working on capacity building in the healthcare sector of developing countries and improving their participation and representation on the global corporate stage. Nancy's goal is to end up with an international business or law degree that enables her to participate in decision making about health resource allocation to developing countries by corporate firms in global health.
Outside of her academic rigor Nancy's passion is dance. She also likes, reading mentoring and writing.
Nancy is the author of several articles on this site that can be found in our USAP Voices section.
She is currently working as a Biomedical Quality Engineer at Baxter Healthcare in Chicago.
Clyde is gifted with the golden touch on anything, considering he is such a creative artist who just about sees beauty in everything. At Bates, he is studying biochemistry, math and art. Clyde is involved in independent research with a professor on DNA/RNA protein interaction and mapping. He also works as a student assistant at the Bates Health Center and at the College Museum.
In January 2008, Clyde was commissioned by Bates College to work on the Visual Arts section for the Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorations. He produced powerful drawings and sculptures speaking about civil rights and racism. Recently, he was awarded one of the ultimate fellowships offered by Bates College to support student research projects, a very rare grant for first-years. Clyde will go to Panama over the summer of 2008 to study the art and culture of the Congo based people in Portobelo. He will participate in building environmental friendly shelter for the people in the village of Portobelo, applying the design of the traditional pole-and-dagga (mud and wattle) huts from Zimbabwe. Over the years, Clyde achieved a number of essay writing awards, and at Bates he will be a peer writing tutor in his second year. How does Clyde balance his studies with three jobs on campus, participate in the International Club, Bates Christian Fellowship, Diversity outreach, voluntary works, debate, soccer, tennis...?
"I do everything through Christ who enables me. I do it all for God's Glory!"
Clyde and friend Victor Babatunde (from Nigeria) are the first USAP students at Bates. Already, they co-initiated the Bates Africana Club and they are both involved in many pre-med programs as well as Christian and voluntary activities.
Clyde's dream is to discover a viral cure, particularly for HIV. He looks forward to a career in Microbiology and Public Health while finding time for Animation. Just before coming to Bates, Clyde was attached to Security Devices/Multi Manufacturers, where he assured the quality of chemical products like bleach and detergents. While he worked at the company, Clyde was introduced to industrial lab research and microscopy, and then received tremendous support from Security Devices to fund part of his way to the United States. Clyde wishes to establish top shelf medical laboratories in Zimbabwe and in Africa and to fight for the general health care for the poor. He also hopes to compile African traditional tales and preserve the heritage through animation.
Edward Muguza
Amherst College '11
Born in the high density suburb of Glen Norah, Harare, Zimbabwe: Edward Muguza, persevered and completed his high school at Highfield High as the best student at the school and a mathematics olympiad finalist for 2005 and 2006. Currently, he is enrolled at Amherst College, MA, USA in the class of 2011. At Amherst College, he developed leadership skills as a Community Engagement Fellow, Chemistry Teaching Assistant and African Association member. As one of the most promising leaders in his class of 2011, Edward was selected to lead the Koenig Scholars Mentoring program and also participate in First Year orientation programs. He also initiated an intramural soccer team and organized the establishment of a pool club at Amherst College. At Amherst, he is also involved in other activities which include volunteering with CCE and Multi-Cultural Center, Amherst Cricket, Black Students Union, and the International Students Association.
Edward is majoring in Chemistry but with interests in Economic development and healthcare. During his junior year Edward did his study abroad with the International Honors Programs, where he traveled to South Africa, Brazil, Vietnam and Washington DC. He analyzed the impact of social, political and economic forces on healthcare systems in emerging markets and he discovered that healthcare is a human right in some countries while it's a privilege in some countries because of the differences in the political and economic structures.
After graduation in 2011, Edward intends to either go to graduate school or take some time off pursuing scientific consulting or science investments. Edward aspires to see the progress of science and healthcare in developing countries. He thinks this is possible by having leaders with a science and business mindset, who know how to channel funds to the most productive and profitable areas. The main challenge facing health facilities in Africa is finding a balance between providing affordable high quality health care services and still remain profitable. Thus, his dream is to be involved in advising science and health organizations on ways of maximizing resources for the betterment of Africa.
Munashe Shumba
Brown University '11
Munashe Shumba from Harare, Zimbabwe is currently pursuing a BSc. in Computer engineering at Brown University, Rhode Island. He is an active member of the Brown Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) chapter. He works with other engineering students to foster technological innovation through collaborative projects, to connect student with career opportunities and to promote community. He is also actively involved with the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) chapter where he works to increase the minority representation in technical fields by providing support for minority students in engineering and other science fields.
Munashe is interested in power-efficient systems and computer architecture. He also interested in application development and embedded systems. He plans to do further studies in these areas and use technology to improve the quality of life in underdeveloped countries.
Raynold Shenje
Davidson College '11
Raynold was born and raised in Harare, went to St Faith's High school, a boarding school in RUsape were he became heavily invloved in charity work and volunteering. It is his belief that poor people are most fascinating, and that they have so much to offer. In the three years that he has volunteered, Raynold has encountered people of extraordinary talents in disciplines like sporting and music. The only thing that between these people and maximising their potentital is poverty, which is what Raynold seeks to change. He was treasurer of the LEO club, a branch of the Lions Club International at St. Faith's High school.
At the moment Raynold is attending college at Davidson College, NC, where he has just been appointed Residence Advisor for the period 2008-2009. He is planning on majoring in Chemistry and will graduate in May 2011 with the hope of persuing a Chemistry Engineering degree. After this degree, he will probably go back to Zimbabwe, where many of the Chemical Engineers are fleeing the country citing viability problems. As a Chemical Engineer, he intends to help curb water pollution, one of Zimbabwe's major problems. He also intends to remain a part of the Lions Club International.
Ray loves listening to people speak, he is intrigued by how people look so much alike about have totally different mindsets. As such, his hobby is chatting with people of all backgrounds. "A little procrastination doesn't kill" is one of his favorite sayings. He also plays a lot of soccer and is part of the Davidson intermural team.
Donald Batsirai Hondongwa
Vassar College '11
Donald has unique combination of intellect, dedication, will. Raised in the suburbs of Harare, Donald's dedication saw him make his way to the high academic ranks at Kutama College where he did both his Ordinary and Advanced level studies. During his stay at Kutama, Donald managed to get top of the range grades in all fields; sciences, arts and commercials. For his Advanced Level studies, his passion for natural sciences led him to take mathematics, physics and chemistry. At this time he also got involved in the Old Mutual Mathematics Olympiad becoming the Kutama college team captain in 2005-2006. He managed to attain third position in the first round in both those years. His great performance in these natural sciences earned him the name Isaac Newton among his class men in high school.
Aside from the academics, Donald was also involved in other community activities. He was the secretary and treasurer of the Kutama College Aids Actions Society, a group that was dedication in fund raising for the aids orphans around the School.
After high school, he got accepted at Vassar College in the class of 2011, where he hopes to pursue a major in Physics and a minor in computer science or mathematics. He is a very active member of the Vassar African Students Association. For him this is just the beginning!
Donald believes that one of the greatest problems in the world is that of lack of efficient utilization of natural resources, a problem whose effects will be felt by future generation. In the interest of future preservation, he believes that it of great importance to devise methods that invoke the efficient use of resources. Africa being one of the big sources of natural resources, there is no better way of achieving his goal than improving the technology in Africa, and what better way to do this than to become an engineer. This is Donald's goal.
Virginia Nyikadzino
Lehigh University '11
Virginia is one of the fire-balls of the USAP class of 2007. She is an all rounder who has managed to break new ground in just one semester of college. Virginia is an active leader within Lehigh University's Student Senate in which she is the Alumni Relations Director among other things. She is also in Lehigh's four year leadership program that seeks to train undergraduates to be multi disciplinary leaders, especially in community service.
Among her pioneered organizations were the Peer Educators of Marondera High School in 2006 and currently, International Connection, a program in which she is the Cultural Peer Counselor for Lehigh's ESL students. She is also a member of the Harambe Endeavor, an organization of African academic diasporas who will be touring ten African countries this year (June- August). In the Harambe she is working as a member of the Zambian team in on entrepreneurial project aimed at eradicating Malaria and economically empowering the people of Zambia.
Virginia is a civil engineering and business major. She is passionate about empowering people, entrepreneurship, children and she loves mountain climbing.
Noreen Kudzai Nkosana
Wesleyan University '11
Noreen is a determined young lady who has had a passion to make a difference in the world ever since she was a little girl. She is the first child in a family of four – a pathfinder and pacesetter according to some of her friends. Her education carrier started at Nyamande Primary School in Domboshava where she realized the importance of education at an early age; she loved learning and nothing was going to stop her from pursuing and realizing her dreams. She went on to St. Paul's Musami High School and then Harare High School where she completed her high school education.
Through USAP she was able to apply to US colleges and was admitted to Wesleyan University for the fall of 2007. The program helped her to keep an open mind and look at the world in a different way. It marked the beginning of new visions and dreams in her life – she realized that the world is full of opportunities just waiting for open-minded and dedicated people to 'go- get'.
Noreen is planning to major in Chemistry and Molecular Biology & Biochemistry. She is interested in chemical engineering and research. On campus she is a member of the Wesleyan Christian Fellowship and the African Students Association and next fall she will be playing club soccer. After Wesleyan she wishes to go to medical school. One of her dreams is to help identify and nurture talent in young children by providing them with necessary resources.
Jonathan Neshena
University of Mississippi '11
Jonathan is an open-minded young man who was born and raised in Harare, Zimbabwe and did his Advanced level studies at Mazowe High. Unlike most of the USAP students, Jonathan did his first three years of college in Greece at American College of Thessaloniki. Being away from the rest of the USAP group helped Jonathan to quickly integrate in the Greek culture, learning the language and understanding their way of life. At American College of Thessaloniki, he became the top student in his classes and was made a tutor in his sophomore year. His love for humanity and sense of belonging forced him to take a big step in his junior year. In fall 2009, Jonathan, with the help of his Italian friend, Carmelo Gonzalez Perez and Albania counterpart, Edlira Danaj, founded the Inter-ACT club, an idea he took from his previous school. After a series of meetings with the Dean, Jonathan and his two friends were given the right to run Inter-ACT. In their first week, they enrolled more than 35 members and currently, this club is made up of 154 members and still running. His main long-term objective for the Inter–ACT club was to create a full scholarship for economically disadvantaged students. This club is mainly helping refugees with basics and promoting environmental awareness. Jonathan later transferred to the University of Mississippi, where he is majoring in Managerial Finance and actively involved in the ACA club. At Ole Miss, he is also a Pi Mu Epsilon and a Phi Kappa Phi member.
Besides community service, Jonathan is very interested in Actuarial Science and has a strong creative and analytical mind when it comes to business. When it comes to financial matters, it's easy for people to see where they want to go but it's hard for them to figure out how to get there. Jonathan's dream is to use his mathematical, business and financial tools to help people and companies make the right financial decisions and minimize the risk of losing what they have worked for. When he is not reading Harvard Business Review or Forbes Magazine, he usually spends his time in the gym, playing chess, basketball, volleyball, soccer or socializing.
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