Final Semester of College

I’m a college graduate!!!! I graduated with two degrees. A Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance. How do I write about what this moment means to me when it means more than I could write, but let me try to put it into words. For one I am deeply grateful to be able to get to this point. My life has been nothing short of miraculous. It has been so magical. The twists and turns. The planned and the unexpected.

Four years ago, I left home for the second time—this time embarking on a journey whose path was uncertain, but one thing was clear: I was going to learn and grow.  

Last Semester of Senior Year

At the beginning of this semester, I was both nervous and excited. How did I get here? Where did the 4 years go? 

I took 6 courses and 18 credit hours.  lol, I know. It was a grind until the end for sure. I thought I would have a chilled last semester with 12 or even 15 hours but no, here I was with 18 hours. 

Courses taken: 

Econometric analysis: I was very scared to take econometrics, its reputation of being very challenging precedes itself and I can confirm that it lives up to its reputation. I had so many conversations with my friends on the many reasons I should or shouldn't take econometrics. Hoping they could convince me that not taking it would be a good choice but none of my friends did. They said, “You can do it Cararise, am pretty sure it won't be that bad”. I was still very unsure and nervous about taking it. The thing is, I only had 15 credit hours left to graduate so, course load-wise, I didnt need to take both econometrics and directed readings. One would have fulfilled my Economics degree requirements. But I decided to go ahead and take it, after all my economics degree is called qualitative and quantitative econometrics. The class was very challenging, to say the least. There were many assignments including problem sets that took me an average of 6 hours to complete, all things being equal (lol). I also had multiple in-class labs that were completed in R. Yes you heard right, your girl was out here coding lol. I was intimidated and honestly, I contemplated dropping the class, before it started, after it started, and even one week before graduation (which was impossible at this point lol). It had me focused and glued throughout the semester, I would sometimes even forget that I was a senior. We also had multiple quizzes, one midterm exam, and a comprehensive final ( why in the world would an econometrics final be comprehensive???). But I had to soldier on, and I did. I pampered myself daily, saying it would all end. May 10th is coming and it will all be over. Go on Cararise, you can do this. It was challenging and yet I saw the importance of what I was learning. There is no economics without econometrics. It was all things statistics, regression analysis, and data analysis. It is a very helpful course. Knowing its importance helped motivate me. I did all I could to make sure I learned the material and passed the course. 

Directed readings:

This right here was an amazing course. Great way to finish my econ degree. It was an economics course that I chose to take with one of the best economics professors I have had the honor to be taught by, Professor Joan Hamory. I let her know over winter break that I was going to take this one-on-one class with her and she was as excited as I was to direct it. She asked me what I wanted to research and I said I wanted to look at African economic development. As we explored narrowing down this broad goal, we decided that we were going to read two books. I choose Dead Aid by Dambisa Moyo and the End of Poverty by Jeffery Sachs. This was a great combination as both books looked at Aid from two different sides. When it comes to polarizing topics such as this one, I like to look at both sides of the story to make sure I understand the why of both sides. I will post my summary reflection for the two books in a separate blog. But I learned, unlearned, and was challenged by my professor to think beyond. I enjoyed every discussion we had and I always came out of our conversations with both clarity and more defined questions. Thank you Professor Hamory for all the 3 courses you taught me in college (Intermediate Microeconomics, World Economic Development, and Directed Readings). You have shaped me into a better learner and reinforced my passion for economics. Thank you for not only teaching me but for mentoring me. 

Retirement planning: 

This was a very helpful course. I took it with Professor Rauch, who now competes with Professor Hamory as a professor who taught me 3 courses in college (Financial Intermediaries and Markets, Commercial Banking, and Retirement Planning). You know a professor is good when you keep going back to his class, not twice but 3 times. I enjoyed learning about how to carefully plan for retirement and was very happy I shared this class with one my friends, Jillian, making it our 3rd shared class in college. Thank you Jillian for making this class an enjoyable experience and thank you for giving me rides not only to this class but to all our previous shared classes and meetings. I appreciate you! 

Sustainable finance:

This class expanded my understanding of the intersection between finance and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues. As someone passionate about making a meaningful impact, learning how capital can be a force for good was both exciting and empowering. From green bonds to climate risk disclosures, every lecture challenged me to think differently about the role of finance in shaping a sustainable future. I especially appreciated the real-world case studies and research discussions that made the concepts come alive. This course not only enhanced my technical knowledge but also strengthened my commitment to using finance as a tool for equity, resilience, and positive change. My highlight of this class was sharing it with my friend Luhle. We were able to be in the same group, a very big added advantage. In a way I think God gave us this opportunity to spend more time together as we concluded our college careers which helped us to spend more time together. 

Management:

Wow! What a class! Leadership was truly exuded in this class. I was glued to every lecture, every guest speaker, and every discussion. You know I am passionate about leadership so this class was food to my soul. I was truly inspired by the guest speakers we had, among them the OU chief of police and a member of the OU Board of Regents. I took it to fulfill my tenure requirement as a JCPenney associate, a leadership program I have been a part of since my sophomore year. This program has helped me grow and shaped me into a better leader. I am grateful to Director Breea Clark and Melia Anderman for giving me such an incredible opportunity. I wouldn't have been as connected to Price faculty, staff, and students as much as I was able to had it not been for the JCPenney leadership program. 

Capstone: 

Capstone was all things strategy. Business, corporate, and international strategy. I really enjoyed diving into the decision factor behind business. We looked at 10 different global business giants and analyzed some of the issues they have been facing in recent years and suggested some strategies they could use to confront these issues and continue to be successful at what they do. I shared this class with Ahmed, my former co-worker (OU IT), and friend. I also shared the class with Ella, who has become a good friend. She’s always cheerful when she sees me, greeting me with an enthusiastic 'Hello, Cararise!!!'—a moment that never fails to brighten my day." Ella is actually my future co-worker, so hopefully you will be hearing more about her in my future blogs. 

Graduation Day

For a moment, my whole life flashed before my eyes, my mother, my uncle, George compound, Matero. How can a life be totally transformed? Completely changed and turned around. Two things remain true for certain, miracles do happen and education is indeed the key. It has been the key in my life. It gave me the tools I needed to navigate through life. It opened my eyes to the possibilities of what could be even when I could not see, touch, or feel it. This journey took a lot of hard work. I remember showing up for school every day at my primary school, I walked miles to go to Mulongoti primary school but I made sure I never missed class. Then when I changed schools and started going to St Monica's, my determination continued, I was dedicated, I would often go back to school with some of my friends to study in the Library in preparation for tests or examinations. There was this drive within me and this fulfillment I found by pouring myself into school work and honestly I found great joy in learning and discovering how to solve problems I had had difficulty with. I still do. 

And when  I went to Chalo Trust. The same drive found me. 

It took a lot of late nights and early mornings. Studying to make sure I was ready for whatever assignment or exam I had coming. 

At that moment during graduation. Everything felt worth it. Every sacrifice. Every discomfort. Everything that led to this moment felt worth it. 

A letter of Gratitude 

Thank you OU for giving me everything I hoped to have in my college experience. Thank you UWC for sponsoring my education and making this dream a reality. Thank you to my mentors who have encouraged me and believed in me every step of the way. Thank you to my friends for supporting me and being here with me in both the valleys and on the mountaintops. Thank you Mubanga, Lombe and mum Evelyn for constantly checking on me and reminding me that I am far from home but am still deeply loved. A big thank you to my friends Sidiki, Terry, Sylvia, and Chisanshi for coming to my graduation dinner. Thank you for always showing up to celebrate me, for the countless ways you encourage me, and for giving me the comforting reminder that I have my people here.

Max. Thank you for being a good friend and brother. Our calls always leave me nourished. We have built a very beautiful friendship. Thank you for being here. 

Mayamiko and Shekinah. You've been here since the beginning of this college journey. Thank you for being shoulders I can lean on. Thank you for being in my corner and for helping me navigate my college journey. You do not hesitate, your fearless love keeps me grounded. 

To my circle of 3. Peter and Teddy. Some first encounters become magical magnets. We've been glued since our first day at OU and I will forever cherish our times together. I appreciate the friendship we have created and the sweet safe circle we have built. 

To my friends Junita and Lauricenia who I met in Japan, and Leah who I met at Chalo Trust and hadn't seen since 2018. Thank you for traveling to come and witness this moment, your being here meant the world to me. Thank you so much for coming.

To Xavien’s parents and big brother, thank you so much for coming and for loving me in ways only my heart knows I deeply need and cherish. 

Thank you Xavien for loving me and being the voice that tells me “You can do this, you are very Smart” every single day. Thank you for being a constant presence. For loving me in the everyday and mundane moments. Thank you for always making sure I was where I needed to be and had what I needed. Thank for you reminding me to eat lol and when I panicked and became anxious thank you for holding me tight.

The Lord has been good to me!

I am filled with so much joy and gratitude. I am grateful for the goodness of God that has carried me since I was conceived in my mother’s womb. I am grateful for the blessings that my mother spoke over my life, the life she didn’t get to see and yet she knew in her spirit. I am grateful to my Uncle Ben and Auntie Nalucha for their endearing and faithful support. I am grateful for the love, fearless consistency, and balance that my friends, family, and mentors give me. I am grateful to Kucetekela Foundation, UWC, and OU for making this dream a reality. I look back on my journey and smile. I look ahead and I see endless possibilities. I am stepping into what's next with deep gratitude, immense love for learning, and a full understanding that this story is written by God.

I stand on many shoulders today. I sit on this green grass look up to heaven and say 2 things:

Thank you God🙏🏿

Uncle B, Mum, and Dad, I hope I made you proud 🤍🤍🤍