BIO

Yvonne was born into a family of six children. Her dad is now retired after serving for many years in Rwanda’s military. Her mom is now the sole breadwinner for their family, which she does through farming. Unfortunately, the money she earns as a farmer is barely enough to provide for their basic needs. Paying the fees necessary for Yvonne and her siblings to attend school has been a huge challenge.

Yvonne grew up in a poor, rural community with many large families. Virtually everyone was subsistence farmers, growing crops and raising cattle. In so many ways, life in this village was lovely and peaceful. But there were very few educational opportunities. But Yvonne’s parents valued education, making sure their children made the most of what little they had.

Yvonne attends Kepler College, where she is studying Business Management. Her dream is to create her own import/export business. Because the land around her villager is great for coffee plantations, Yvonne would also like to start her own coffee business. Her hope is that both of these businesses would create jobs and help people build a better life for themselves.

Outside the classroom, Yvonne loves leading worship at her church. She also volunteers at the Kepler Fusion Center, which serves the community, both on campus and off campus, in a variety of ways. She is also a member of the Kepler Leadership Club, which trains its members to be future leaders through public speaking, topic debates, storytelling, and advocacy.