Cynthia Uwase

Since 2007

Major: Biology/pre-medicine

Background: A native of Rwanda, Africa; student assistant in the library; member of the Natural Science Club; enjoys listening to music and shopping; plans to graduate from TWC and continue her education in medical school in the United States, but plans to return to Africa afterward.

Fun fact: Before attending TWC, Uwase had never visited Athens, Tennessee.

The lives of most American college students can be considered average and uneventful, with respect to the fact that most students have not ever experienced war in their own cities or towns. Most students read or hear of civil wars in history text books, on television or on the Internet.

Cynthia Uwase, a TWC junior majoring in biology/pre-medicine, can tell a different story; a story of her not-so-typical life, that began in Rwanda, Africa, 21 years ago.

Rwanda is a small, landlocked country in east-central Africa, and home to nearly 10 million people. The country has the densest population in Africa and one that is divided by two religious groups – the Hutus and the Tutsis.

"I live in a very small country, but I live in a big city, Kigali, where life is busy," said Uwase. "It has a great climate, and is usually 80 degrees year round, but without the humidity that you find here."

On April 6, 1994, Juvénal Habyarimana, president of Rwanda and a Hutu, was killed when his airplane, also carrying the president of Burundi, was shot down near Kigali International Airport. His death ignited ethic tensions and began the Rwandan Genocide.

Genocide, as defined by the United Nations, is an act committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group. The Rwandan Genocide led to the deaths of an estimated 1 million Tutsis and pro-peace Hutus.

In 1994, Uwase was a mere six years old, and had only one sibling – an older sister. Fearing the unknown, but sure there was to be conflict, Uwase and her mother fled to Belgium two weeks prior to the start of the genocide on what they hoped everyone to believe as a holiday. For fear of drawing attention from Hutus and punishment for the entire family, her father stayed in Rwanda.

While securely residing in Belgium with relatives, Uwase and her mother and sister learned of the deaths of family, friends and neighbors, and worst of all, her father, who was said to be killed in a fire that also destroyed their home.

The Uwase family mourned their loss as they continued to live in Belgium, until Uwase's mother received an unexpected phone call that she believed to be a prank. The caller claimed to be Uwase's father. In disbelief, Uwase's mother accused the caller of lying and shared the news of the death of her husband, then hung up on the caller. He was persistent and even though his wife was in complete disbelief, she did as the caller asked and handed the phone to Uwase. As Uwase took the phone and the caller spoke, she said, "Daddy!"

Miraculously, her father had survived the genocide in which the family lost most of their relatives, friends and other Tutsis. Thanks to a tip from a Hutu neighbor about plans to burn Uwase's house, her father was able to escape and survive the attack.

"I thank God every day for still having both of my parents, unlike most of my cousins, friends and other Tutsis children. I am not any more special than they are; I was just very lucky," said Uwase.

Twelve years later, she left her father, and other family members behind, but this time she left for a good reason. Uwase came to TWC having never known of or seen Athens, Tennessee. A friend of her father's, who attended TWC, recommended she attend the school and her father made arrangements for her to do so, just as he had done for her older sister, a student in Idaho also majoring in biology.

"When I first came to TWC, I was in shock. I couldn't believe how big and spread out everything in the country is," said Uwase. "It is hard to leave home and your family. I was a little homesick at first, but there is no chance of getting lost here, not have anyone to talk to or not knowing what to do; everyone at TWC made me feel welcome. They were always saying, 'If you need anything, just let me know."

She currently works as a student assistant in the library and enjoys listening to music and shopping. Uwase plans to graduate from TWC and continue her education in medical school in the United States, but plans to return to Africa after earning her medical degree.