By Scovia Faida Charles
As the graduation day looms, the air at Uganda Christian University is filled with a mix of excitement and uncertainty. Among the many graduates eagerly counting down to the big day are two Mass Communication students Yoloki and Evaline each facing the universal question that shadows every graduate’s path: What next?
Yoloki Queen a 22-year-old passionate about public relations, is among the top students in her communications class. Throughout her university years, she has been driven by the desire to reshape the narratives around marginalized communities.
Growing up in Koboko district, Yoloki experienced firsthand lack of accurate media representation, and she plans to change that.
“I’ve always wanted to give a voice to the voiceless, I feel like our media focuses too much on the negative, especially when it comes to rural areas. There’s so much resilience in these communities that goes untold.” Yoloki said
Yoloki’s post-graduation dream is to work with organizations like World Vision whose focus is on the grass root and changing people’s stories. Her plan is to tell positive, impactful stories from rural communities. However, she’s not blind to the challenges.
“I have the dream, although getting the job where your heart desires maybe difficult but certainly not impossible, for I believe that we all at some point achieve our dreams,” she admits.
For Yoloki, graduation isn’t the end it’s in fact the beginning of her mission to write and share stories of change and becoming a voice to the voiceless.
According to Aine Aldrine, a “podcaster,” the transition from student life to the professional world feels scary.
“I feel accomplished right now but at the same time scared of what next, I have been working on a social behavior change podcast to foster inclusion in the workplaces with my team while applying for jobs.” He said
Aine’s dream is to work as a marketing and public relations person but his fears are slowly getting the better of him.
“Marketing and public relations is where my passion is but as we all know, the world out there isn’t friendly, I mean we often plan but so many are the obstacles along the way,” he expressed.
In her part, Kiko Evaline stated that her eyes are set on the international media scene.
“I’m not cut out for the cooperate world, my passion is news reporting and my dream place is Voice of America,” she exclaimed.
Eveline interned in Eye Media, one of the best media houses in South Sudan’s capital Juba, and she hopes to climb the ladder after graduation.
For Evelin, the appeal of working with big brands is too strong to resist. “I love storytelling, that’s why I want the right platforms to do it, I want to be part of a big team, reporting global issues and setting the bar high as a girl child.”
For Yoloki, Aine, and Evelin, the paths after graduation are as varied as their personalities, yet they all share the same uncertainty about what the future holds.
Despite their different career goals, they are united by a common hope that the education they received will be enough to guide them in navigating the next chapter of their lives.
In just a few days, they will walk across the graduation stage, degrees in hand, and step into a world full of challenges and opportunities. But as they each prepare to answer the question, what next? they know one thing for sure the future is theirs to shape.
