Beyond the Screen: Mastercard Foundation Scholars at ASU Build Community Across Africa

For many online students at Arizona State University, graduate education takes place entirely online. Relationships with classmates and faculty are almost exclusively virtual. 

However, this summer, 72 Mastercard Foundation Scholars had the rare opportunity to transform virtual connections into meaningful face-to-face relationships at the inaugural Kigali Kickoff, held in Kigali, Rwanda. 

Through a partnership between the Mastercard Foundation and Arizona State University, Mastercard Foundation Scholars from across sub-Saharan Africa are pursuing graduate degrees through ASU Online while receiving academic, leadership and community support designed to help them thrive throughout their educational journeys.

The three-day Kigali Kickoff orientation and leadership experience brought together Mastercard Foundation Scholars from two pathways. Forty-four Mastercard Foundation Scholars relocated to Kigali to receive in-person wraparound support through Kepler College while completing their ASU Online graduate degrees. Another 28 traveled from their home countries to Rwanda for the orientation before returning home to begin their ASU Online graduate programs. 

“This experience reflects our commitment to ensuring that Mastercard Foundation Scholars across Africa are connected not only to Arizona State University, but also to one another as future leaders and changemakers,” said Mina Ahmad, senior director of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at ASU.

Mastercard Foundation Scholar Boluwatife Olaleye of Nigeria is pursuing a Master of Science in Engineering in Sustainable Engineering through the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering as part of the Kepler College pathway. The Kigali Kickoff helped transform what being an ASU Online student meant to him.

“At one point, I looked around and realized that these were the people I would be learning and growing with over the next two years,” Olaleye said. “That was when it really hit me that I wasn't simply enrolled in an online master's program. I was now part of the ASU community and part of something much bigger than myself.”

The 28 self-study Mastercard Foundation Scholars followed a different path to their graduate degrees. Through the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at ASU, they first completed graduate certificates in Global Management through the Thunderbird School of Global Management or Supply Chain Management through the W. P. Carey School of Business before beginning their master's degrees.

During the three-day Kigali Kickoff event, Mastercard Foundation Scholars put faces to familiar names, built connections across both Mastercard Foundation Scholar pathways and strengthened their sense of belonging to the broader ASU community. 

For Almarat Arnu Ngutulu from Sudan, the Kigali Kickoff marked another milestone in his ASU journey. After completing the Global Management Certificate, he is now beginning the Master of Leadership and Management.

“With the online, self-paced program, we mostly interacted through screens, but being in the same hostel allowed us to interact much more deeply,” Ngutulu said. "You get to know where people come from, what they are doing, their experiences, and their aspirations. Simple things like having tea and dinner together made it feel more personal.”

ASU and Kepler College staff designed the Kigali Kickoff to extend beyond a traditional orientation. 

Themes of leadership, academic success, community and the values of the Mastercard Foundation were explored through interactive workshops, team challenges and cross-cultural learning. Representatives from the Mastercard Foundation also joined the Kigali Kickoff, leading sessions on the Foundation's mission and creating opportunities for Mastercard Foundation Scholars to connect directly with members of the broader Mastercard Foundation community.

“ASU Online was founded on the belief that a quality education should be accessible to everyone, regardless of where they live,” Ahmad said. “Bringing Mastercard Foundation Scholars together in Kigali at the start of their online studies is a powerful expression of that vision. While their courses are online, the connections they built during this event will strengthen their sense of community, collaboration and belonging.” 

“Getting to know the many resources ASU has available to us, from the Writing Center and library to peer-to-peer mentoring, made the university feel much more tangible and accessible,” Divine Ikirezi said.

Ikirezi, from Rwanda, is pursuing a Master of Science in Global Technology and Development through the College of Global Futures. The Kigali Kickoff also brought a greater understanding of what being part of the ASU community could offer.

“Most importantly, learning about the mental health support available to us made me feel that ASU was invested not only in our academic success, but also in our overall well-being.”

As Mastercard Foundation Scholars spent time together in Kigali, the gathering became as much about building relationships as preparing for graduate study.

“Some of the most meaningful moments happened beyond the formal sessions: Mastercard Foundation Scholars from Sudan and South Sudan singing together, Ethiopians and Eritreans dancing to the same melody, and a young Ugandan woman sharing her vision for transforming education in her country,” said Dr. Emelyne Umunoza Gasana, deputy vice chancellor of Kepler College. “These moments reflect the kind of community we are building, one that transcends borders, celebrates our shared humanity, and empowers young leaders to shape Africa’s future together.”

That sense of shared purpose resonated deeply with the Mastercard Foundation Scholars themselves. 

Saraphina Adzo Korkor Ametepey, a Master of Supply Chain Management student in the W. P. Carey School of Business from Ghana, reflected on the sense of community she experienced in Kigali. 

“The intriguing moment for me was when I realized that I was seated as a part of a community ready for change. We all came from different countries and orientations of life with different aspirations and goals yet in some way, we all speak one language: change!”

The Kigali Kickoff is one example of how ASU, Kepler College and the Mastercard Foundation are working together to expand access to graduate education while building the relationships, leadership skills and support networks that help Mastercard Foundation Scholars thrive during their studies and beyond.

For Olaleye, the Kigali Kickoff was just the beginning.

“When I think about the next two years, I really hope that I will look back at the Kigali Kickoff and say, ‘This is where it all started,’” Olaleye said. “I hope that by the end of this journey, we will have gained the knowledge, skills, relationships, and experiences to go out and make a real difference.”