Meet Agnes: The SNHU GEM graduate and Project Manager dedicated to refugee education. Agnes will join SNHU GEM students from around the world at a World Refugee Day panel on Thursday, June 23.
Agnes Burume is a graduate of Southern New Hampshire University’s Global Education Movement (GEM) and SNHU GEM Project Manager. She fled from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Rwanda with her family in 2003. After completing high school in Rwanda, Agnes was determined to continue her education. Through the Kepler Kiziba’s partnership with SNHU GEM at Kiziba Refugee Camp, Rwanda, Agnes completed a bachelor’s degree in management with a concentration in logistics and operations in 2019.
After her graduation, Agnes was hired as an intern at SNHU GEM, and quickly promoted to a full-time position. As a SNHU GEM Project Manager, Agnes is responsible for planning and managing special projects and coordinating with SNHU GEM’s in-country partner organizations. She previously worked as SNHU GEM’s Research Coordinator, conducting research on students’ resettlement cases and guiding them to employment or educational opportunities. Agnes is passionate about education, and enjoys hearing about the successes of other students. “I am always proud when I hear about a student who graduated due to the implementation of our work,” she says.
On World Refugee Day, Agnes takes time to reflect on everything she has accomplished despite the barriers she has encountered. “It’s a day that reminds me that though I am a refugee, I am capable of doing anything that I set my heart on. By working very hard and with a purpose, I can inspire other young refugees and have a positive impact on people’s lives.”
You can hear from Agnes and other SNHU GEM students about their experiences navigating higher education as refugee learners during our World Refugee Day roundtable event, hosted by SNHU President Paul LeBlanc on Thursday, June 23 at 9 a.m. ET. To register, visit bit.ly/WRDSNHUGEM.
