Dreaming Big and Overcoming Doubt is the Key to Annick’s Success
"GGAST was ahead of its time, fostering the beauty of diversity, the importance of tolerance, and the power of women. Additionally, true sisterhood - the most essential. I'm still friends with the girls I met at GGAST and this is very precious to me.”
Annick La Reine, GGAST Class of 2014
Glasgow Caledonian University, BA Business Management
After graduating from Gashora Girls Academy of Science and Technology, Annick studied at African Leadership College and Glasgow Caledonian University. She has worked for The African Leadership University since 2019 where she now serves as a Senior Marketing Associate. Her energy and passion for making an impact is contagious. No matter the challenges, Annick has not allowed her own doubts and insecurities to stop her from dreaming big.
Would you please introduce yourself?
My name is Annick La Reine (she/her), and I graduated from Gashora Girls Academy in 2014. I love writing, planning events, and working with the youth.
Where did you receive your degree?
I am proud that I was part of the inaugural students that joined the African Leadership College (ALC) in Mauritius. ALC had a partnership with Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) in Scotland, which allowed me the opportunity to receive an education from both. I graduated in Business Management with honors.
You were very active while on campus. What activities did you participate in?
While at school, I played basketball and participated in the school's dance group and the poetry society. I was also a connect ambassador which is almost similar to a residential advisory group, except it connected students from different cohorts or graduation classes. The goal was to foster connections and making sure everyone knew everyone. Lastly, I was part of the inaugural Student Representative Council (SRC) as the head of social transformation.
"Believe in yourself, constantly affirm yourself and surround yourself with like-minded people. It's okay if your goals scare you — it means you're dreaming big. If they don't scare you, then they're not big enough."
Tell us more about the Head of Social Transformation? What made you decide to run? What was that experience like?
Running for student government was not planned. I had been feeling off - like I wasn't myself anymore. I questioned myself and my place in our community of overachievers. At the same time, there was resistance against starting the Student Representative Council (SRC). Many in the student body felt we were all leaders and didn't need a group of students leading them. But one night, I had a random thought that the SRC could be beneficial if it could help bridge the divide between on and off-campus students. I told a friend my thoughts, and they encouraged me to run. I sent my application that night.
Can you tell us what that role entailed and what you are most proud of?
I had to define what this role meant to me. I wanted all students, whether introverted or extroverted, on-campus or off-campus, to feel connected and, most importantly, included in the community. My role entailed organizing educational campaigns like sex education, consent, gender violence, holistic wellness, etc. It also meant fun projects, events, or movements that bonded everyone in the community. I didn’t always need to organize projects on campus. The student body felt empowered to drive initiatives and receive sponsorship from the social transformation budget.
I suffered from imposter syndrome in this role, which pushed me to prioritize my role over my academics. There was a seniors' dinner before our graduation. During the award ceremony, I wondered if heading the social transformation committee was worth it. Suddenly, I heard my name announced from the stage; I had won the Winnie Mandela Award for my activism work on campus. I felt so seen and appreciated by my peers and my school's leadership. I'll never forget this moment
"After returning post pandemic and students could finally move freely, my biggest goal was to bring back life on campus. I did this through week-long campaigns and created incentives for students to host events. I had a team of volunteers called the "History Making Team," which has now grown to be the biggest club on campus that drives almost all activities today."
Did you have any internships while in college?
I was fortunate enough to have many internships while in college. I interned with Inkomoko (an African Entrepreneurship Collective), with the African Leadership University in Rwanda, a short consultancy contract with Heineken, and Rwanda Online - now known as Irembo. Through these opportunities, I learned to be assertive, to show up for myself, and to take up space. As an intern, people might underestimate your contributions, but I always pushed myself to learn from the team and use what I learned to do standout. These skills prepared me for the corporate world life after graduation.
You started a group called Woke Voices one summer. What was the goal?
I am obsessed with everything that's art. During the summer break of 2016, I returned to Rwanda and started a space for young people to express themselves through art. It was a space to talk about issues that affected young people in Kigali, a room to grow, be inspired and empowered by peers, and for young artists in Kigali to connect. We organized an open mic that year for the youth and had a massive turnout! Once I went back to school, sadly, the initiative did not continue. But some of the young people who were part of Woke Voices are now photographers, singers, and rappers in the now-growing entertainment industry in Rwanda.
You began working at The African Leadership University (ALU) in July of 2019 in Student Life, just before the pandemic. What were your dreams for that role when you began, and how did that change as the pandemic started?
When I started working with the team in 2019, my goal was to create a fun environment for all students on campus. When the pandemic began, our immediate goal was to return our students to their home countries safely. During the pandemic, students only connected through their learnings on zoom or through group sessions with the wellness team. When restrictions were lifted, students returned only to have them applied again. We had all these young adults stuck in their residences. I had a team of residential advisors whom I worked with to ensure that a fun project or campaign was happening at the student residences every weekend. Our campus was so empty.
When students could finally move freely, my biggest goal was to bring back life on campus. I did this through week-long campaigns and created incentives for students to host events. I had a team of volunteers called the "History Making Team," which has now grown to be the biggest club on campus that drives almost all activities today.
Tell us about the challenges working in student and campus life in 2020 and 2021, trying to connect and create fellowship amount students during and post-pandemic, and how you worked through them. What skills did you learn?
I always set the most straightforward and achievable goals. It's a trick I learned so I can feel proud when I accomplish those. My goal was to work with the class of 2021 because I knew how badly they wanted to meet each other and connect since arriving on campus. What surprised me was that students from other classes began to attend the events.
My goals grew. I wanted to personally connect with at least 50 volunteers, which grew to 150. Now, this was my biggest challenge. I knew that connecting personally with them would make planning more manageable in the long run. I learned every name, their country of origin, and who was an introvert or extrovert. The most important thing I learned was that personal connections make the work easier, whether the team has young people, teenagers, or adults. Otherwise, nobody cares.
You wrote about doubting yourself after starting this new role. Tell us about that and how you have overcome those doubts and fears
I doubted myself because it was a more significant role in a new team. I overcame the fears by reminding myself that I'd been there before and that "petit à petit, l'oiseau fait son nid" It's a saying about small steps - “little by little, the bird builds his nest” I told myself that if I ended up messing up, I would learn from that and move on. I recently received the continuous learning award for my quick adaptation and relentless pursuit of understanding all that my job entailed.
"I overcame my fears by reminding myself that I'd been there before and that "petit à petit, l'oiseau fait son nid" It's a saying about small steps - “little by little, the bird builds his nest” I told myself that if I ended up messing up, I would learn from that and move on."
(Annick is on the bottom right)
What advice would you give your fellow Gashora sisters coming behind you?
Don't be afraid to dream big and to go for what you want. The world might not support or underestimate you, but don't let it faze you. Believe in yourself, constantly affirm yourself and surround yourself with like-minded people. It's okay if your goals scare you — it means you're dreaming big. If they don't scare you, then they're not big enough.
Where do you see yourself five years from now
In 5 years, I envision myself fulfilled with my life and very successful in whatever career path I'll have undertaken. Right now, I am obsessed with the strategic management of projects, but who knows if this will stay the same or grow in the next five years.
Looking back at your time at GGAST, how do you feel it prepared you for college and beyond?
My time at Gashora Girls Academy taught me at an early age to be structured. In college, no one tells you to go to prep or wake up early and go to the gym, and I followed almost the same structure I had at Gashora. It helped me navigate college, waking almost at the same time I used to at Gashora, reading books at 7 pm, and making time for basketball and exercise.
