Educating Hearts and Minds: My Holy Cross Journey
“Education is the art of helping young people to completeness; for the Christian, this means education is helping a young person to be more like Christ, the model of all Christians.”— Blessed Fr. Basil Moreau
I recently had the honor of sharing my story at the 2024 Holy Cross Convocation, reflecting on a twenty-year educational journey that began in the heart of Jinja, Uganda, and led me to St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas. Along the way, I discovered that true education extends well beyond the classroom, it’s about nurturing compassion, practicing service, and igniting the spirit to become a force for positive change.
Growing Up with Holy Cross
My first taste of Holy Cross education came at Holy Cross Primary School in Jinja. At an early age, I learned how curiosity, compassion, and leadership begin as small seeds. Singing in the church choir, debating motion topics like “Fire is better than water,” and simply listening for the lunch bell (which was a repurposed car wheel!) taught me the joy of being resourceful and the importance of community.
From there, I moved on to Holy Cross Lake View Senior Secondary School, taking on responsibilities that shaped my character, serving as a class president, deputy head boy, and even chairing the Uganda National Students Association. Teamwork became my compass, especially when a group of us started an entrepreneurial venture creating liquid soap to benefit our school and surrounding community. It was in these moments that the Holy Cross mission truly came alive: to educate hearts and minds and empower us to bring hope wherever we go.
The St. Edward’s Chapter
Through the Moreau Scholarship, I became the first Ugandan student to study at St. Edward’s University, an opportunity both exhilarating and daunting. I arrived with the desire to succeed not just for myself, but to pave the way for other first-generation students back home.
What I found at “the Hilltop” was a campus community that welcomes diversity, sparks intellectual curiosity, and encourages service. From some of my work as a marketing coordinator and Global Ambassador to my involvement in the Honors Program, every experience reinforced the Holy Cross value: “The mind will not be educated at the expense of the heart.”
I am eternally grateful to the mentors and teachers here, people like Dr. Varner, whose first assignment was to let go of past accomplishments so we could fill our college experience with new growth. It’s a lesson I’ve carried with me: leave space to learn, to serve, and to bring hope to others.
Learning Through Service
One of the most profound lessons came from volunteering at Andre House in Phoenix, Arizona. Working with people on the margins showed me that books alone can’t teach the depth of empathy needed to transform lives. Service is where theory meets action, where we choose to stand in solidarity with those who need a helping hand. We are called to be “agents of positive change,” and service is the doorway to walking that talk.
A Heart Full of Gratitude
This journey wasn’t mine alone. It was built on the shoulders of supportive family, teachers, brothers, sisters, and mentors. I owe a special debt of gratitude to the Holy Cross Institute for creating a network of education that bridges continents and instills hope.
I also thank those in Uganda, Brother Adolf C.S.C., Mr. Ijonai, and Brother Larry C.S.C., as well as the entire St. Edward’s University family, for showing me the power of believing in a young person’s potential. To Maureen, who refuses to take “no” for an answer, your determination made it possible for me to be here.
Moving Forward with Hope
If there’s one message I hope you’ll carry from my story, it’s that education is not just about what we learn, but who we become along the way. Compassion, integrity, and service are at the core of a Holy Cross education.
As Blessed Fr. Basil Moreau reminds us, our responsibility is to educate both the mind and the heart, to be disciples “with hope to bring.” Whether you’re leading in the boardroom, volunteering in the community, or encouraging a friend through tough times, you have the power to create a ripple effect of goodness.
I often remind myself:
“We are from far, we are far, we are going far, we may not be there yet, but we shall be there.”
Let us keep journeying onward with hope and a commitment to serve. In everything we do, let us strive to be the hands and feet of compassion that our world so desperately needs.
Ave Crux Spes Unica – Hail the Cross, Our Only Hope.
