“One of the highlights of my YYGS experience, was the Yale Young African Scholars Reunion Lunch. After a week of meeting exciting new people, with diverse interests and perspectives, it was comforting to find a sense of familiarity. Finally, somebody listened to Burna Boy! Sitting around a table with alumni, instructors and Yale professors, we laughed about all the times we’d been asked if our country was like Wakanda. Yes, of course, was always our answer.
“Prior to attending the YYGS program, I was in a consistent state of confusion in regards to what my interests were and what I could be working towards achieving in my remaining years of high school. Thankfully, the session I attended has helped me begin shaping a clear-cut path to what I want to achieve and what I would love to do in the future- helping me discover my interests and passions and to define my aims and goals.”
“On the second day of the program, we went to the Great Wall of China. I was very excited because it was my first time going there. Precious friendships were made during this experience.”
“YYGS was truly a life-changing experience for me. Not only did I get to travel to Asia for the first time but I also met life-long friends, realized a new passion, and developed my communication skills. Especially coming from a homogenous community, I had my first opportunity to be exposed to a diverse group of people through YYGS.”
“The seminars were very interesting, mainly because they were based upon different catchy topics, instead of being focused on pure biology. The best seminar for me was the one on ‘clean meat,’ since this topic may help sovle a huge problem currently facing the environment.”
“During the program, I created a short documentary-style film where my group interviewed YYGS instructors and friends on our Capstone project of ‘Love’. By creating a film to capture YYGS, we sought to highlight the best parts of those around us, and the responses to the piece were emotive and filled with a rawness elicited by the connections made in the somewhat vulnerable interview process. As an avid lover of filmmaking, this project was perhaps the highlight of my experience at Yale, and the film now acts as a keepsake to remember the trip by.”
“The fact that I could study, make, and experience art with people from all around the world was nothing short of a privilege. Every single person brought a different perspective in every setting, and my confidence as an artist skyrocketed over the course of this program.”
“YYGS is so special because of the countless nationalities represented at every session; students put forward their international perspectives and learn from each other, developing empathy and understanding.”
“My favorite seminar was: ‘Black Skin, White Masks: Colonialism, Slavery, and Double Consciousness.’ I loved that seminar because I was interested in learning about double consciousness. The seminar helped me understand the concept in-depth, and it motivated me to research and learn more.”
“Being in a program with peers from all over the world, I learnt about the nuances in each culture, beyond the stereotypes, that cannot be explained in textbooks. I also gained deep insight into the subjects and topics I selected for my courses, most notably better understanding the invention of race as a social construct.”
