Mastercard Alumnae

Class of 2022

Adhel Geng '22 (South Sudan), Major: Media Arts & Sciences and Philosphy

Honors: Mastercard Entrepreneurship competition winner

Adhel is a senior majoring in Media Arts and Sciences and a second major in Philosophy. In pursuit of curiosity, she worked as a student researcher over the summer for the Paulson Ecology of Place Initiative and the Wellesley College Science Center. On campus, Adhel works at Slater International Center as a student office assistant where she gets to apply her graphic and web design skills . She is also an intern this semester for WZLY, Wellesley College’s student run local radio station. Adhel is interested in the intersectionality between traditional media art and form and the modern fast-paced world of technology.
 

Noella G. Ingabire '22 (Rwanda and Burundi), Major: Economics & East Asian Languages and Cultures - Korean 

Noella was born in Burundi, grew up in Rwanda and graduated from Lycee Notre Dame de Cîteaux, one of the most respected secondary schools in Rwanda. She was an active member of the school’s debate club and had the opportunity to participate in the iDebate competition. Noella also founded a Francophonie Club, dedicated to promoting and nurturing awareness of French culture and language through weekly meetings, activities, and events. One mentor highlighted her global mindset and unwavering motivation in addition to her poise; bright intellect and unique desire to learn languages. Noella plans to use her U.S. degree to revolutionize Rwanda’s agricultural and food production industries by providing farmers with better, more sustainable food preservation methods. She committed herself to solve the issue of agricultural waste after witnessing firsthand the impact that food losses have on the country’s economy, environment, and social development, and it has ever since been a priority of hers to address this pressing issue. Learn more about Noella: https://www.shecan.global/noella-ingabire.html
 

Josephine Awino Odhiambo '22 (Kenya), Major: Economics and Environmental Studies

Awino is currently a senior. Her academic interests revolve around environmental policy and economics. She majors in environmental studies and minors in economics.
 

Etsegenet Seleshi Tsega '22 (Ethiopia), Major: Economics and Philosphy

Before embarking on her journey at Wellesley, Etsegenet took a gap year where she worked at the Institute of International Education and International Leadership Academy of Ethiopia. She describes her gap year journey to be transformative as it gave her an opportunity to work on projects that focused on designing a curriculum that promotes global thinking while fostering appreciation of local culture and sense of belonging. She was also in a team that researched on ways to empower and support girls in low income communities to pursue their dreams. In June 2019, Etsegenet was enrolled in a summer program at Sciences Po where she studied public economics. She was engaged in projects that analysed market failures and the effectiveness of government policy responses. Etsegenet hopes to contribute to guiding individuals, companies and governmental organizations make economic decisions that align with their goals to foster growth and well being.

Class of 2021

Shukri Ahmed Ali ’21 (Somaliland), Major: Economics

Shukri Ahmed Ali ’21 hopes to become the first Somali woman to participate in a Mars Mission and landing. Shukri, who was born in Hargeisa, Somalia, and has 11 brothers and sisters, has overcome tremendous barriers in her pursuit of an education. She defied cultural expectations and secretly took an entrance exam for an English-medium boarding school in her home country of Somalia. After her family forbade her to enroll, her grandmother intervened and Shukri was able to attend Abaarso School, where she joined one of her country's first female soccer teams and was inducted into her school's first class of National Honor Society graduates. She also created an astronomy club and became the first student from her country to do a yearlong exchange program in the US, at a public school in Massachusetts, where she learned about Wellesley. Shukri feels that everyone, regardless of gender or family background, deserves a life filled with the basic necessities, including education; and her ultimate goal is to make this a reality for her fellow Somalis. She also plans to contribute to the growing field of learning centered on our Universe. Learn more about Shukri: https://thetab.com/us/2017/06/12/shukri-ali-69560
 

Priscilla Oluwakemi Badusi ’21 (Nigeria), Major: Chemistry

A chemistry major at Wellesley College, Oluwakemi Badusi is preparing for a career in biomedical research. After her first year at Wellesley, she returned to Nigeria to learn how to provide advanced care in resource-scarce settings and build sustainable health systems. Her work led to her selection for the year-long Sophomore Early Research Program where she collaborated with science faculty at Wellesley and later completed summer research to find new treatment therapies to mitigate against global resistance to antibiotics. Oluwakemi is a grader for the Mathematics Department, a tutor for the Chemistry Department, and was recently elected to the Executive Board of the international student center. For three years, she has volunteered with EducationUSA (a program of the US Embassy’s Public Affairs Section in Nigeria) and co-facilitated study-abroad outreach programs for high school graduates. Oluwakemi is a dedicated and compassionate leader, working to advance healthcare for those most in need.
 

Irene Ingabire ’21 (Rwanda), Major: Physics

From Rwanda, Irene credits her late mother’s example with instilling in her a passion for learning and achieving a post secondary degree. Irene is a Physics major and a firm believer in life-long learning. She has a creative thoughtful manner and eagerness to learn, coupled with the zeal to discover and pursue her academic and career interests.
 

Yeukai Songore ’21, Major: Computer Science

Class of 2020
Dagmawit Libanos Assefa ’20 (Ethiopia), Major: Computer Science Minor: Physics

Dagmawit is a senior majoring in Computer Science and interdisciplinary Physics and Economics study. She worked as a data analysis and visualization intern at Afyakit, a start-up company that utilizes the power of data to improve the accessibility and quality of health services in Kenya. On-campus, Dagmawit works as a peer tutor and grader for the Physics, Computer Science and Math departments. She is currently the vice president of Wellesley African Students Association (WASA). Dagmawit is passionate about the accessibility of science education in developing countries, especially in the Sub-Saharan Africa and she plans to work in the education sector. Learn more about Dagmawit: http://cs.wellesley.edu/~dassefa/
 

Nomaqhawe “Gwen” Ncube ’20 (Zimbabwe), Major: Philosophy
 

Christine Oginga ’20 (Kenya), Major: Africana Studies
Learn more about Christine: https://www.wellesley.edu/albright/albright/fellowship/fellows/tine-oginga

 

Sandra Amponsah Ohemeng ’20 (Ghana), Major: Economics
Sandra is a Ghanaian and a senior studying Economics at Wellesley. To help eradicate structural poverty and teenage pregnancy in her hometown Agogo, she is setting up a vocational training center to equip young mothers and school dropouts with ‘employable’ skills in fashion design. Sandra is a Future Global Leaders Fellow (FGL fellows are the world’s top first-generation university students and are primed for induction into the Fortis Society), a fellow at the Albright Institute (designed to inspire the new generation of global leaders), a Yale Young African Scholar, and a Mastercard Foundation Scholar. In the past, she has worked as an Economic Research Intern at JMK Consulting LLC-Ghana and as a Marketing Intern at MTN-Liberia. In summer 2019, Sandra interned as an Associate Product Marketing Manager at Google's headquarters. Sandra has a strong interest in marketing and she is also very passionate about women empowerment.

Class of 2019

Belyse Inamahoro ’19 (Burundi), BA in Media Arts and Sciences
Honors: Phi Beta Kappa; Davis Projects for Peace winner

Learn more about Belyse: Founder of Sisters in Success ttps://www.davisprojectsforpeace.org/projects/projects/2017/node/5037

 

Ngina Kariuki ’19 (Kenya), BA in Computer Science
Learn more about Ngina: https://www.wellesley.edu/news/2016/september/node/98206

 

Halle Rubera ’19 (Kenya and Rwanda), BA in Political Science, Cum Laude; Minor in Africana Studies
Honors: Rhodes Scholarship finalist; Davis Projects for Peace winner. 

Learn more about Halle:
https://linktr.ee/hallerubera and https://www.wellesley.edu/albright/fellowship/fellows/christine-rubera

Class of 2018

Remembering their first time at Wellesley: https://www.wellesley.edu/news/2014/08/node/46276

Mebatsion “Meba” Gebre ’18 (Ethiopia), BA in Physics, Cum Laude
Honors: Senior Prize: Phyllis J. Fleming Prize for Distinction in Physics; Nominated for membership in Sigma Xi, the honors research society 

 

Lisa Luka '18 (Zimbabwe), BA in Biochemistry
Learn more about Lisa: https://www.wellesley.edu/news/2017/stories/node/124611

 

Sarah Nzau '18 (Kenya), BA in Economics, Magna Cum Laude
Sarah is committed to using her skills in economic and statistical analysis to shape the international development agenda and public policy. In the summer of 2017, Sarah worked as an undergraduate policy intern at The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL Global) at MIT, where she contributed to J-PAL’s policy team’s mission to analyze and disseminate research results to ensure policy is driven by scientific evidence. Sarah spent her junior year at the London School of Economics and Political Science where she concentrated on the intersection between economic and statistical analysis and public policy. On campus, she has been a Student Orientation Coordinator, a first-year mentor for the Wellesley Plus program, and an active member of the Wellesley African Student Association. After graduating in 2018, Sarah interned at the United Nations Foundation, and is currently a research assistant at The Brookings Institution (Economic Studies Program). Learn more about Sarah: http://magazine.wellesley.edu/spring-2018/resilience-and-resolve and https://www.wellesley.edu/albright/fellowship/fellows/sarah-nzau
 

Class of 2017 (first Mastercard graduates at Wellesley)
Refilwe and Khalayi were the first Mastercard Foundation Scholars at Wellesley College. They paved the way for future Scholars. Remembering their first time at Wellesley: https://www.wellesley.edu/news/2013/12/node/40762

 

Martha Khalayi Aywa '17 (Kenya), Degree: BA in Biochemistry
Honors: Nominated for membership in Sigma Xi (The Scientific Research Honor Society)

Khalayi is passionate about community health. During her internship at the Kenya Medical Research Institute - Wellcome Trust in Kilifi, Kenya, she experienced firsthand the effect of research on the community and saw how research can improve health outcomes in under-resourced areas. The impact of this work inspired her, fueling her determination to engage in translational medicine that equips her to deliver better health care outcomes in underserved communities by combining cutting-edge research with excellent clinical care. Since graduating, she has been working as a research technician at Tufts University. Her project aims to understand how a viral protein transforms normal cells into cancerous cells.
 

Refilwe Kotane '17 (South Africa), Degree: BA in Philosophy
Refilwe is dedicated to the creation of transformative business and policy solutions to fuel inclusive growth and development in Africa. She is particularly driven to improve health systems and health outcomes through multi-sectoral collaboration, strategic innovation and virtuous leadership. At Wellesley, Refilwe took on various leadership roles as a Residential Assistant, Mamaland Coordinator and Philosophy Writing Tutor. In her junior year, she designed a lean start-up model for managing diabetes in urban areas in South Africa under the supervision of Amar Gupta at MIT. Refilwe also completed the International Honors Program, a global comparative study on health and community in Washington DC, Delhi, Sao Paulo and Cape Town. Refilwe contributed to actionable solutions to global issues at Discovery Health and Clinton Health Access Initiative as a Special Projects Analyst and Public Health Associate, respectively. She is also pursuing an M.Sc. in International Development (ODL) at The University of Edinburgh.