Impact and Inspire: Global Media Fellows Communicate and Empower

By OSUN Global Media Fellow Evialina Karneichyk

The OSUN community is more than just a typical organization where students gain some skills and then move on. Doing a fellowship with OSUN involves realizing that in a world where big problems dominate the headlines, going it alone just won't cut it. Instead, OSUN nurtures young leaders who can use their skills to influence their surroundings and the hundreds of students they come in contact with each semester.

As a Global Media Fellow, students get the chance to surround themselves with folks who are also hungry for communications knowledge and a chance to make a difference in the world. They are ambitious individuals from across the globe who are eager to help extend the network by using their media and networking skills to connect with peers, staff, faculty, and alumni, helping to raise awareness of OSUN and all the opportunities it offers.

Aaron Masuba, a student at BRAC University in Bangladesh and an OSUN Global Media Fellow for the 2023/24 academic year, has made significant contributions both within and outside the university. He served as the Impact and Leadership Education Manager for two years at BRAC University, where he designed and implemented a transformative Social Impact and Leadership Certificate program for young innovators. He has also served as an Innovator and Student Ambassador for oneAPI at Intel Corporation in Santa Clara, California and was selected as a TEDx speaker at the TEDxBRACU Countdown on Climate Change. 

Masuba says he views it as his responsibility to assist others and being a Global Media Fellow allows him to do that on his campus. He does this by engaging with others, sharing their stories, and creating promotional newsletters and posters that capture the attention of as many students as possible, enlightening them about all the opportunities the network has to offer.

“With no doubt, the OSUN Media Fellowship has nurtured my personality and self-awareness. Being exposed to global issues has broadened my understanding of them, while interacting with fellow students from different institutions has bolstered my empathy and adaptability. I have learned how to effectively collaborate and derive a win-win outcome for projects and responsibilities,” says Masuba.

In his home country of Uganda, Masuba witnessed a grim tableau of suffering, natural disasters, persistent poverty, and other hardships. He was confronted with the brutality of climate change: massive flooding, submerged homes, and unyielding droughts. In such a scenario, his engineering education became not just a tool but a mission.

Representing BRAC University as an OSUN Global Media Fellow has given Masuba the opportunity to practice using effective media strategies on campus and interact with students and faculty in meaningful forums. He says one of the more unique experiences he had was guiding students through open consultation sessions on how to organize their CV and craft a strong statement of purpose. 

Masuba raised awareness about OSUN opportunities both on campus and through the online student community of OSUN Global Scholars. Thanks to his efforts, students have experienced “mobility” semesters abroad and accessed competitive scholarly opportunities like the London Critical Theory Summer School and CEU Summer University. He has witnessed firsthand how students with low self esteem flourish with the opportunities OSUN offers, diversifying the pool of student representatives and enabling both local and international students to thrive in Bangladesh. 

Christian Baobab, a graduate of the Higher Education Access Program of the OSUN Hubs for Connected Learning Initiatives, holds an Associate Degree in Business and Finance from the Institut Superieur de Commerce in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and is currently pursuing a second Bachelor’s. He served as an OSUN Global Media Fellow for two years and has since taken on a paid communications position for the Hubs for Connected Learning Initiatives.
Baobab was a refugee from DRC who led an initiative called Refugee Uplift Network at the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya. The initiative aims to empower young refugees with storytelling skills, allowing them to raise their voices and use readily available resources to advocate for their rights and the rights of their communities.

“Coming from a refugee background myself, I saw the need to raise awareness about the issues that refugees, especially the youth in the refugee camps and the host communities, face and the ways these challenges can be overcome,” says Baobab. 

Achievements like Baobab’s not only impact others but also inspire them. As a media fellow, Baobab connected with new people and learned about their perspectives, which made him able to address concerns arising from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. “Together, you create projects and promote opportunities for students and educators worldwide. Information sessions on campuses are organized where each person has their own goal, yet the collective journey everyone experiences is inspiring,” says Baobab.

In the past, winning a scriptwriting contest and securing funding for his first short film were significant achievements that made Baobab feel proud. But he felt an even greater sense of fulfillment when he joined the OSUN Hubs for Connected Learning Initiatives. There he participated in the Refugee Higher Education Access Program, a year-long intensive designed to prepare refugee students for college. The program enhanced his writing, critical, and analytical thinking skills, involved him in Civic Engagement projects, and connected him to the wider academic community, including OSUN.

OSUN Global Media Fellow scholars foster connection and community empowerment worldwide. By developing their leadership skills, creativity, and communication skills, OSUN fellows embody the transformative potential of education to address complex global challenges and promote social justice for students and their communities. The journey begins with a sense of responsibility and a desire to expand one's own boundaries. As fellows’ scope of knowledge and practice expand, their leadership inspires others to do the same.

Post Date: 05-15-2024