Rosa
My conversation with Rosa was a turning point, a fork in the road that shifted the course of my life in ways I can only imagine.
It started back in 2018– or maybe it was earlier, sometime the year before– when one of my best friends introduced me to the United World Colleges(UWC). I can still picture us sitting in his room, hunched over his laptop, scrolling through the UWC website together. The idea of becoming a UWC student felt like the ultimate dream because they made the concept of a global village seem so real and indeed it was. But at the same time, it intimidated us. Like most dreams, it seemed out of reach, beautiful but fleeting, and soon slipped from our minds.
Fast-forward to August 2019. I had just been accepted to Yale Young African Scholars(YYAS) program, an incredible experience that already stretched my horizons. On my flight home, we had a layover in Zambia, and that’s when I met Rosa. She boarded the plane, settled into the seat beside me, and greeted me with a warm “Hi.” There was an openness about her, an excitement that drew me in, she effortlessly took the lead in our conversation. When I told her about YYAS– how unique and thrilling it had been– she lit up,like she had a secret to share. She was a UWC alum.
“Here’s my email,” she said, writing it down. “Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions or need help with the application.” There was somethig about the way she spoke about her time at UWC, she wasn’t just reminiscing; she was genuinely thrilled at the thought of me applying. Her excitement was contagious, dissolving the self-doubt that weighed me down. A dream I’d long buried suddenly felt alive again, within reach, all because Rosa chose to share her story.
I’ll always be grateful for her. That chance encounter reminded me of something simple yet profound: kindness matters. You never know when a small gesture–hers to me, or maybe one day mine to someone else–could become a defining moment in their story.
(edited on 24-03-2025)