Memories of an Alma Mater

Memories of an Alma mater… and a thank you note.
Gaudiose Mujawamariya (00/EC/66) Ph. D.

2003-2013, ten years have gone by! How time goes fast! Indeed, it has been ten years since I left Stella Maris and the truth is I have not noticed how time has run on me. Well, that is an exaggeration, given that I have changed in several visible ways which could have happened only in this time span; for one thing I have become big (not a joke!) and a mother, and also mature and perhaps even wiser (I hope so!).

I joined SMC from far away, perhaps the College has not seen again any other far-off wanderer who ended in its wall. The circumstances of my landing make a story too long to tell, but the shortest version is that I was young, eager to learn and a risk taker in terms of going into a new environment. I must admit that I was also looking for some adventure, I thank my parents for letting me go. 

I reached the College when the first semester was mid-way. I remember and will always be grateful for the support of many of my classmates of the 00/EC batch and the faculty who went long miles to help me. Thanks a lot my dear colleagues, you have not only helped me with buying the first textbooks and correcting my class notes, but you have also welcomed me into your family and made me part of it. I must say that it took a lot of effort to reach out to me taking into account that my level of speaking English was limited to ‘yes’, ‘no’ and ‘I don’t speak English’….Luckily I survived on my French background but I would not have made it without my small English-French dictionary. To be honest, the Indian accent didn't make my transition into the English language any easier...I survived.

I liked Economics and even if I had no idea of where I was (please do not laugh at me for I bet there are more than two persons in the College who still think that my country is located in South Africa), I seriously learnt the Indian Economy as if my life was hanging on the five years plans. I enjoyed most of the subjects including some mathematics, but I also took the opportunity to improve my English which later facilitated the reading of other subjects that I came to love as well. I worked hard.

There are two places in the campus that I liked most. The first is of course the Chapel where I always had some quiet moments with God as my source of strength. And then there was the library. I liked the library because I am principally a book person. And when I discovered the whole section of French fiction which was dusty because no one had touched it for years, I was just filled with joy. I started reading the books one by one, unhurriedly, as I knew they all belonged to me!!! After finishing the section, I ventured to English literature and to my amazement, I discovered that I could understand the stories. Reading helped me to expand my English vocabulary. 

I mentioned the good places, but let me also mention at least one of the places that I considered as my torture chamber; that was the canteen. Dearest Canteen, I have nothing against you in particular, but to be honest, despite all my bravery, I always feared your spices. Whenever I came to visit you, I always knew that I would leave crying. I am not really a ‘hot’ person and you have reinforced my conviction that I am and will always be a ‘sweet’ person. Anyway, are you still in partnership with that crow which was always hanging around you?

I could go on and try to bring back the memories, but that would take several pages…truth is that age is catching up on me and those memories are slowly fading away, maybe I should pass by to refresh them…I still have the good ones though, such as the events of the College, NSS, NCC, and sports days, the inter-college competitions, etc. It wasn't easy being in a new environment, new place, new culture, new everything, I struggled through it all but all in all I am happy for the experience. My three years at Stella Maris have shaped my life and led me to where I am now; I am thankful for the education and nurture received at the College. The hardest part was about missing my parents and family but the many friends made at the College and my surrogate community helped me pass through the most difficult periods of my life. God was always there for me. He kept me closer and sustained me, for my biggest fear was to lose faith in Him, thanks to the religious environment at Stella, this did not happen. Thanks to the wonderful Stella family and thanks to the Economics Department for encouraging my small steps.

Gaudiose Mujawamariya (PhD) got her BA degree in Economics from Stella Maris College in 2003, her Msc. in International Development Studies and PhD degree from Wageningen University, Netherlands. Currently, she is a lecturer and researcher at the Faculty of Economics and Management in the Independent Institute of Lay Adventist of Kigali in Rwanda.