Student Profiles | Emery Nkurikiye

Kepler alumni Emery Nkurikiye graduated in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in Communications from SNHU. He is originally from Burundi and now lives in Kigali, Rwanda, where he holds refugee status. For the past 2 years, Emery has been employed at Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, where he supports job seekers and assesses their language skills. Emery is empowering youth to take control of their future and is passionate about sharing his own experiences.

In terms of finding employment, Emery believes that refugee youth need to get out of the mindset that it is too hard to find a job or that you need someone else to get one for you. “You need to be proactive and have high expectations for yourself. I can’t even count how many job interviews I completed,” he reflected. Emery also knows how important it is to understand your rights as a refugee, which was a component of the Kepler program. Refugees in Rwanda have the legal right to work, but many employers aren’t familiar with the policies. When Emery was offered a job, he was able to confidently walk his employer through the laws and hiring processes.

Read more in our 2021 Yearbook Click here.