Building the Future, One Foundation at a Time
“Gashora Girls Academy allows students to define our own journeys and pave our way through mentorship and guidance, which then makes us take ownership of our choices and confidently walk the walk. Gashora equips you for life through academic excellence, leadership, ethics, and well-being.”
By Rosine Izerumukiza | Gashora Girls Academy Alumni, Class of 2022
My name is Rosine Izerumukiza, GGAST Alumni class of 2022. I'm currently a fourth-year Civil Engineering student at the University of British Columbia with a concentration in Resilient Infrastructure Management. When I joined Gashora Girls Academy of Science and Technology, we were told the only standing rule for the school was: "Do what is right, in the right time, at the right place."
That was it. No lengthy rulebook. No ranked performance charts. Just a call to ownership, to conscience, and to character.
That single principle encouraged my peers and me to take ownership of our actions toward success, which, to this day, guides me to stand confidently in places where young women are often underrepresented.
Gashora created a supportive environment, from teachers, classmates, and administrative staff, that encouraged me to dream boldly and plan strategically. Being exposed to role models and great alumni stories made my dreams of a better future less of a fairy tale. That shift in mindset helped me see engineering not as a career but as a tool to make an impact. I chose civil engineering with a long-term goal of giving back and being part of that community, transforming the nation.
Gashora also equipped me for the realities of that path. As Class Captain, Student Coach for the volleyball team, a community service volunteer tutoring math and English to primary students, and a member of the Science club, I learned to build teams, manage responsibilities, and communicate effectively. All of these skills help me perform better as a student, an engineer, and a human.
Gashora taught me to be comfortable outside my comfort zone, which built character, confidence, and purpose. And, crucially, Gashora taught me to balance freedom and responsibility, which made every subsequent transition less challenging.
That long-term goal became real sooner than I expected. I headed back home to Rwanda for eight months, where I worked with Turner & Townsend as a project management intern on the Kigali International Financial Business Square. This is also known as the Equity Twin Tower, the city’s tallest building. Coming back home and supporting its construction felt like a front-row seat to Kigali's development, and it reminded me of the guiding purpose behind my choice of engineering: to build for communities I understand and care about.
Working on site felt different than in class when you are using a theoretical project. There is limited room for mistakes, as your work has a real-time impact on the project. This can be scary, but it was also exciting to learn and develop confidence in project delivery. And beyond the engineering work, I joined Turner & Townsend's internal CSR team, through which we collaborated with Our Past Initiative to build a house for a Genocide survivor and supported children with disabilities at HVP Gatagara, a rehabilitation center in Rwanda. That experience reminded me that even small responsibilities can have a big impact — a lesson Gashora planted in me long before I ever set foot on a construction site.
From Kigali, I moved back to Vancouver and took on a new role at the Vancouver International Airport, working on Airside Engineering projects. Alongside that, I work as an International Peer at UBC, helping newly admitted international students navigate student life in Canada.
With graduation on the horizon, I want to contribute to sustainable infrastructure projects in Rwanda that improve the quality of life while upholding our environmental stewardship. I want my career to be both technically strong and socially impactful. As we always sang at Gashora, this is "a community transforming the nation."
I know that none of this happened by accident.
Behind my journey, and the journeys of so many Gashora girls, is a community of donors who believed in us before we could fully believe in ourselves.
Your generosity created the environment, the mentorship, and the opportunities that made my dreams feel possible. I am deeply grateful.
Would you consider supporting the next girl who is sitting where I once sat, full of potential, just waiting for the right environment to grow? Every contribution to Gashora helps create that environment. It helps send more young women into the world ready to lead, serve, and transform their communities.
