2026 Graduate reflects on her time at gashora before heading to duke
“I came to Gashora Girls Academy carrying a lot of hope, but also a lot of doubts. What I didn't know was that behind those gates, I was about to discover a version of myself I had never imagined before. A girl who could do more than pass exams, a girl who could lead, take risks, and dream much bigger.”
By Alexa Rubayiza · Gashora Girls Academy, Class of 2026
I didn't leave the cockpit thinking 'I want to be a pilot.' I left thinking: I want that kind of confidence. The kind that says I belong here.
That moment — sitting next to Captain Esther Mbabazi, Rwanda's first female pilot, cameras rolling around us at the Aviation Africa Summit in Kigali, is when I realized aviation wasn’t about flying; it connects people, countries, and opportunities.
Now my dream is to pursue engineering and contribute to the future of aviation in Africa. That door was one that Gashora Girls Academy opened for me.
Who I was
I came to Gashora Girls Academy carrying a lot of hope, but also lots of doubts. I'm one of six children, and from an early age, I knew that working hard wasn't just about me. That responsibility never felt like a burden. It was my motivation. At the time, my idea of success was very small — I thought a Gashora Girl was simply someone who studied hard and got straight A's.
When I chose a hard path
People kept saying PCM — Physics, Chemistry, and Math — was too hard, especially for girls. I was scared. But more than scared, I was confused. Where did that idea come from? So, I made a plan. When it was time to study, I studied. When it was time to rest, I rested. Then something interesting happened — I started doing well.
That was the moment Gashora's vision stopped being something I heard and became something I believed. I realized that the biggest barrier wasn’t the subjects themselves. It was fear, doubt, and the limits people place on girls. Once I stopped believing those limits, I started seeing what I was capable of.
Stepping Forward
One moment that completely changed how I saw myself was when I applied to become a Tech Master. It felt strange because I didn't even see myself as a "techy" person. I almost didn't apply. But something my dad always says kept ringing in my head: "Try and fail, but never fail to try." After that, I began showing up for more things — organizing the debate tournament, the cultural concert, and the graduation ceremony for my senior sisters. I realized I didn't need a special title to make a difference. All I had to do was step forward.
At Gashora Girls Academy, I have had the chance to lead and be led in clubs, teams, international stages, and more. I learned that leadership isn’t about wearing a badge, being the loudest person, or the smartest one in the room. It is doing quiet work behind the scenes. It is listening and working for the good of the group, not self-glory. It is staying behind when no one notices.
Standing with the Rwandan Flag
Gashora Girls Academy slowly pulled me out of my shell. They kept putting me in rooms, kept giving me platforms, kept saying, “Your voice matters, use it.”
This gave me the strength to keep applying for summer programs, even though I was tired of rejections. Then I received a full scholarship — one of only three students selected from more than 500 applicants to take part in the London International Youth Science Forum (LIYSF). Standing there among delegates from 91 countries, holding Rwanda's flag, I just kept thinking: I came from a small place called Nyamata, and now I am representing my country and my school on an international stage. I felt proud. This feeling stayed with me throughout the forum. It made me realize that being Rwandan is not a limitation at all. It made me grateful, proud, and excited for what would come next.
Then came Duke
I was in the library with my friends when we opened the decision letter. Before I could finish reading, people came running from everywhere — shouting, dancing, pure chaos and joy. Even now, it still feels surreal, Duke's Pratt School of Engineering.
I'm going to Duke not just for myself. I'm going for every younger sibling watching, every girl in Rwanda who needs to see it's possible, and every future girl who hasn't yet walked through her own Gashora gates.
My place in the future is right where mechanical engineering and aviation meet.
Looking Ahead
Gashora Girls Academy helped shape who I am. But more than that, it showed me that education is a pillar — not just for one girl, not just for one family, but for a whole nation. When opportunity is given to us, it also comes with a responsibility.
To me now, Gashora Girls Academy is not just a school I attended. It is a place that revealed my potential to me. Gashora is where my true self unfolded, and its footprints will always stay with me.
