Fueling Dreams, Forging Leadership
My name is Esther Kamanzi, and I am an alumna from the Class of 2019.I graduated in May from Northwestern University in Qatar as a Communications Major, minoring in Strategic Communication and Business Administration.
Gashora Girls Academy Shaped My Confidence, Skills, and Vision for the Future
Gashora was the catalyst that changed what I believed was possible for me. It opened me up to the realization that things I thought of as out of reach were actually attainable. Before attending, I never thought of a major in Communications or going to school in Qatar. But at Gashora, I found a network that genuinely supported me and helped me. I would not have had the courage to dream as big without this support. I was given the freedom to explore — from joining the Economics Club and visiting Banque Nationale du Rwanda, to leading as vice-president of the Umuco n’Ubutwari club. These experiences sparked my interest in areas I hadn’t thought of, and gave me the confidence to take business classes in college.
Gashora taught me it was okay not to have everything figured out at 17, that I was allowed to dream and shape my own future. Gashora encourages you to tap into your leadership from the start, instilling values of excellence and pride in giving back. The values of leadership and responsibility instilled in us at Gashora were profound. Gashora helped me explore and tap into my inner leader, and it’s why I now enter every room unafraid.
The rigorous curriculum and fast-paced environment prepared me to balance a triple academic load in college — majoring in Communications and minoring in both Strategic Communications and Business Administration — all while being a student-athlete and student leader. The Gashora sisterhood is unlike anything I’ve seen — engaged, empowering, and determined to build up future generations of change-makers. Gashora offers a distinct approach to doing things and interacting with people, helping us navigate countries and places that enable us to not just survive, but to thrive.
Northwestern Qatar: My Journey Of Empowerment Through Storytelling and Sport
A conversation with my mom and a friend helped me pivot from the medical path I was on toward something I was inherently good at: communication. My friend introduced me to NU-Q, and I knew instantly it was the place I wanted to be. Since then, I’ve leaned into every opportunity — from internships with Blue Oceans Rwanda and FIFA’s World Cup in Qatar, to serving as Program Coordinator with Sports Africa Network.
One of my proudest accomplishments is my fellowship project, “Ikiganiro n’Iwacu— Tales from our Elders’ Sitting Rooms,” part of the IAS_NUQ Undergraduate Fellowship. This highly competitive program supports evidence-based research from the Global South. I actually did not get it the first time I applied, but with constructive feedback and support, I resubmitted a more competitive proposal which I was genuinely passionate about and was more specific, which allowed me to pursue my favorite piece of research so far. My project let me research and share community knowledge, and I presented it at both the IAS conference and the Web Summit Qatar — an international summit, and a dream come true. I also presented at the Sports Africa conference in Côte d’Ivoire on migration in sports, which re-centered my passion for sport as a career path.
In 5 years, I see myself with a master’s in Sports Management, working with organizations like the BAL or NBA Africa, and ultimately founding a sports initiative that supports women's inclusion and leadership in the Global South. My dream is to make a lasting impact through sport, storytelling, and entrepreneurship, and to build the equitable future I once only imagined.
I am thankful to all of you who have supported Gashora Girls Academy and given young women a place to grow academically and develop character-building skills to find success in all we do.
