Rodrick
PROGRESS
OUR GOAL: A CIRCLE OF SUPPORTERS GIVING $350/MONTH OR $4200 FOR THE YEAR
Rwanda
University of Rwanda
Mechanical Engineering- Production
CAREER: Mechanical Engineer
GRAD DATE: 2023
JOURNEY
- March 1, 2023 – In a recent Leadership Development Workshop, we explored the question, “How can you make sure the pain of your past doesn’t determine your future?” What stood out and meant the most to you in this workshop? Rodrick said: “During the recent workshop, my key takeaway was a quote by the speaker where he said, ‘it’s not where you come from that should describe your end’. He kept on reminding us that we all came from different backgrounds but that shouldn’t stop us from making the most of it in order to achieve our goals and dreams in life.”
- September 8, 2022 – Rodrick talked about the biggest change in his life since the end of the COVID restrictions: “COVID has been an eye-opening experience for me. I realized that tomorrow isn’t what we think it’s going to be but instead to do our best and let God do the rest.”
- September 13, 2021 – Rodrick shared his favorite song and what it means to him: “One of my favorite songs is a 2014 rap jam called “Love Yourz” by J.Cole: https://youtu.be/Ka4BxFizU7I. That’s literally what it’s about — loving your life more. In short, this song reminds us that, however rich or wealthy you’ll get, you can never be satisfied. There will always be a house, car, phone, wife, etc. that’s better than yours. So, the best thing to do is love what you have and be proud of who you are. Feel free to go watch or listen to other songs by J. Cole. This guy is a good story teller. You’ll thank me later. Lol. Enjoy!”
- July 16, 2021 – Rodrick shared what resilience means to him: “The first thing that comes to mind when I hear of resilience is getting back on your feet.”
- March 1, 2021 – Rodrick said his biggest lessons from 2020 were: “2020 was a year of change, intellectual growth, and transformation for me. Actually, 2020 was almost like a “world stop” moment for me. I had enough time to learn new skills namely coding and digital marketing that I thought I had no time to undertake. Moreover, I also realized that no matter what you think or do, God has his plans for our lives that are greater than ours. Which is why I decided to try and overcome my procrastination and chase my dreams without waiting for the so-called “right time”. Who on earth thought for once that everything would stop in a blink of an eye?! I would have lots of things to say about 2020 but these two were my biggest lessons. One thing is surely certain, I’ll never be the same person I was in previous years!”
Rodrick’S CIRCLE
BIO
Rodrick is the second born of four children his parents raised. Like many other families, his was not perfect, it faced lots of challenges but none of these were ever bigger than the love and unity they had for one another. He grew up in a community of people who struggled to make ends meet, so he promised himself that he would be different. In 2017, Rodrick joined his friends to start an NGO called Patriotism Organisation Rwanda whose mission is to get youth involved in their country’s development through community engagement programs, like helping the needy, organising seminars about youth entrepreneurship, and many more. He later started college and from there he aims to meet his potential, take on new challenges and strive hard to go beyond expectations. Rodrick’s inspiration to study Mechanical Engineering came from a speech by the President of Rwanda who is his role model. He remembers thinking that his country had won its fight over the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi, racism, and all the negativism in the media outlets, the only thing that’s left is gradual economic development and the welfare of his fellow citizens. Following the vision of his country, industries will have a huge impact on the country’s economy and it would be his role as a mechanical engineer to oversee this. At the end of the day, a good leader is one that serves. Enrolling in Mechanical Engineering was a dream come true for Rodrick, and he believes he is on right track to empowering his family and community. He plans on creating an effective and sustainable ecosystem of industries in which there will be less waste. Outside of his studies, Rodrick enjoys hanging out with his friends and getting to know new people, watching infotainment documentaries, swimming, and learning new skills (soft skills, IT skills) and any other skills that he comes across and finds interesting.
Rodrick has to acknowledge the crucial role his siblings have played in this journey, they were always there when he needed a shoulder to lean-on. He learned at an early age from his father, who used to spend several weeks -sometimes months, on the road driving in order to put food on their plates, that hard work and passion was the way to go.
