I have had the privilege of teaching some of the most incredible young people I have ever met during my first year and a half in Rwanda at Sonrise High School. Inspiration and determination exude from them, and I feel lucky just to be a part of their lives. Although I am not teaching there this year, I am still connected with many of them and can't wait to see what their future holds.
Let me introduce you to one of those special students. Kevis just graduated S6 (12th grade) in November. He was the top student in his senior class and all throughout his upper Secondary career. Kevis is the most disciplined and determined person I have ever come across, as his dream is to become one of the first neurosurgeons in Rwanda. Although he was very respected and loved among students and teachers, he has not had an easy road to get to this point in life. In fact, his whole life has been challenge after challenge. But that is what makes him so special; he has courageously allowed adversity to direct the road for his future.
Only 2 years old when the horrific genocide of 1994 devastated Rwanda, Kevis vividly describes memories and flashbacks of the event. As a small child he sat on his mother’s lap in a Catholic camp where they ran for protection, sure that this religious entity would be a place of refuge for the Tutsi’s who were being brutally murdered all over the country. With other family members at their side, the rebels soon invaded the camp and started leading people out one by one. Kevis and his mother watched as they led his two uncles and close family friend, certain of their fate and sure of what would soon be their own fate. And then a miracle happened: the rebels didn’t come back for them. Something diverted their attention; whatever it was saved Kevis, his mother, and his older brother’s lives. Kevis’ mother spent the next three months on the run, trying to protect her two small children from the violence and calamity that surrounded them. Miraculously, survival won out in the end for all of Kevis’ immediate family. But at an early age Kevis literally stared death in the face, unfairly losing some of his childhood innocence and fatefully learning the injustices of the world.
But just like after any tragedy, life goes on. So his family struggled to keep living, even after the horrors they had witnessed and the many relatives they lost in the genocide. Then life even improved a bit for Kevis. When he was 9 years old, he got accepted to a new school built for orphans and needy children in northern Rwanda. A school where hope, vision, and love were the foundation of the future. A school called Sonrise School, where he would finish out the rest of his Primary education and his entire Secondary career. A school where he would learn lessons about life, discipline, and leadership…all of which would shape his future. But he was not done facing hardships quite yet.
Simply an average student in the 9th grade, Kevis claims that he was more interested in rap music and soccer than excelling in academics. Then one afternoon while he was attending a school assembly, the headmaster called him out to give some dreadful news that would change the course of his life. Kevis’ father had just been murdered. But not just by any random stranger…by his own brother. A family dispute over land caused Kevis’ uncle to snap, murdering his brother with a hammer in his own home. Devastation overwhelmed Kevis as he tried to understand why his uncle would bring such pain to his own family. Kevis represented the family by making a speech and tribute to his father at the funeral just three days later. And then the next week he did the unthinkable….he went to his uncle in prison, and he forgave him. He told him (as quoted by Kevis himself): “You are forgiven, and you are my father now.” Three years later, Kevis still visits his uncle in prison every chance he has and assures him of his forgiveness and redemption. (He has even taken me to visit his uncle in prison, but they will not let the white girl in the Rwandan prison:)
This hardship became a turning point in the life of this 15 year old boy. He watched his father’s life cut short, and determined he would spend the rest of his life becoming what his father dreamed for him to be. Kevis soon became the top scoring student in the class, winning the number one position every year after that. He not only concentrated more on academics, but he determined to build his leadership skills as well. He became known as one of the most well-rounded students in the school, being the best soccer player in the school chosen to play on a national junior team, holding leadership positions throughout various clubs and extracurricular activities, and becoming one of the spiritual mentors for many of his peers.
Soon, he developed his dream of becoming one of the first neurosurgeons in Rwanda. But this dream did not come without hardships either. The inspiration came from his beloved science teacher, who fueled Kevis’ passion for all things science. His teacher unexpectedly found out that he was suffering from a brain aneurysm; two months later it killed him. At this time, there were no neurosurgeons in Rwanda that could even attempt to operate on his teacher. Whether his life could have been saved by medicine, Kevis will never know but always wonder. This ignited his desire to pursue medicine as a career, specifically neurosurgery in dedication to his favorite teacher. He has not let up on this dream since that point. It has become the focus of his entire life. His idol has become the renowned African-American Johns Hopkins neurosurgeon, Ben Carson, who is well known for successfully separating the first Siamese twins. The story of Ben Carson’s life appealed to Kevis, as he also faced many challenges and setbacks but persisted through them. The entire school nicknamed Kevis “Ben Carson” and everyone believes in his ability to reach that dream. More importantly, he believes in himself.
For the past 6 months, I have been helping Kevis to apply to some of the top schools in the US. God brought him two angels named Keith and Teresa Devine, who visited Sonrise last year from America and gained inspiration from the dreams of Kevis. They determined to help Kevis apply to several great Universities in the US in order to reach his goals. Although it has not been an easy road the past few months, he has kept persisting. We have spent countless hours on SAT and TOEFL prep, writing and editing college essays, and gathering all the necessary but tedious documents for the applications. We are waiting to hear back about admittance to the colleges, but Kevis knows that God is in control and has a divine plan for his future…just like he has always been in control.
This student continues to inspire me with his determination and dedication to fulfill his dreams. As we get older, we often realize that sometimes life gets in the way and dreams don’t always come to fruition just like we had hoped….but there is something about having a dream to begin with. Although the specifics of our dreams may change over time, Kevis has gently reminded me of the wonder and beauty of simply having a dream to chase after.
"I had a farm in Africa…the equator runs across these highlands, and the farm lay at an altitude of over six thousand feet. In the day-time you felt that you had got high up, near to the sun, but the early mornings and evenings were limpid and restful, and the nights were cold.
