Thank you for speaking to the Global Scholars class earlier today. I loved how you intertwined Rwanda’s history—whether it was colonialism’s legacy of transforming Hutu and Tutsi class distinctions into racial divides or the story of Tutsis fleeing to neighboring countries and being condemned—with your own personal journey: how your parents joined the RPF and how your grandparents cared for you amid such chaos.

I appreciated hearing your perspective as a survivor, as a child who evaded death by a hair, a teenager who struggled to heal after witnessing so much harm, and a speaker who shares her story to preserve history. Thank you, too, for your openness, for the humor and sorrow you expressed as you recounted what you lived through, for showing how storytelling became a path to healing, and for leaving us with the message to trust in hope.

Atticus

Ms. Umanyana-Anderson’s bravery in recalling memories from the genocide to educate and inform students like us is truly inspiring. I’m extremely appreciative that she took the time to speak to us and ended by highlighting the importance of Hope in any situation. Thank you again Ms. Umanyana-Anderson. Sincerely, Alex

Additionally, I found hearing your story to be so moving and inspiring. Your honesty, from admitting as a young girl that the change felt chaotically exciting to recalling conversations with your aunt, brought a vivid, nuanced, and deeply human perspective to a complex history I can only imagine. I hope to one day tell stories with the same honesty and empathy you brought to yours.

Thank you again, Ms. Umanyana Anderson!

Anya

We had all studied and discussed the Rwandan genocide before your presentation; however, your personal stories elicited an emotional response from all of us and deepened our understanding of the Rwandan genocide far beyond what we had learned before.

Your cheerful spirit reminds us all that resilience is not just about surviving, but about choosing to live with love and optimism. I will definitely take your advice to keep hope as a friend through the lows of my own life.

Thank you again, Ms. Umanyana-Anderson, for your bravery, honesty, and compassion.  Sincerely, Taylor

August

Her reflections on the years following the genocide were especially powerful. She spoke about the silence that followed, the confusion of trying to understand what had happened, particularly as somebody who survived the genocide as a child, and the long process of rebuilding a sense of identity and hope. I was struck by how she turned that pain into purpose through her work as an author and speaker, using her voice to educate others about compassion, belonging, and healing. 

What moved me most was her belief in storytelling as a bridge between people. She explained that sharing her story was not just about remembering tragedy, but about creating connection and understanding. Her story showed a kind of strength that has progressed beyond endurance or anger, into empathy and action. I thought her closing words, that hope is like a little friend that follows us around, were especially moving and poignant. I appreciate her finding the time to speak with our Global Scholar cohort. Sincerely, Maddie

Although we had learned in class about the social classes from which the Hutu, Tutsi, and Twa originally emerged, I had never been able to fully grasp the true historical weight and significance those distinctions once held — before they were transformed and racialized — until you articulated the depth of their original significance.

In beautifully personifying hope, you described it as “a little friend that walks by your side.” Hearing you speak of hope in such an intimate and human way profoundly reshaped my understanding of it. You reminded me that even in moments that feel overwhelming and unbearable, hope can be a quiet companion that offers us strength and guides us forward. In discovering singing and writing as ways of coping and reclaiming a sense of peace, you embody the resilience and perseverance that hope makes possible.

Thank you, truly, for sharing your story and for taking the time to speak with us. Sincerely, Lennon

I first want to thank you for you’re incredibly eye-opening presentation today. 

Many things stuck with me throughout your presentation. When you described your life after genocide and said, “My first impression of humanity was genocide,” I was deeply moved. When one studies tragic events like these, it’s easy to fall into the trap of seeing the number of lives lost as statistics or data points. It is by our natural intuition to look away when we can’t begin to comprehend the tragedy of a moment such as the Rwandan Genocide. When you said that, however, I was able to see more clearly not only how tragic this situation was, but how resilient you are in coming out of that experience with hope and a passion for storytelling. It was so understandable how you questioned and doubted the people around you, yet instead of letting those experiences define your outlook, you turned them into a way to preserve history and provide such valuable insight to people across the world. In addition, your story provides such a unique view of the event itself. Though you experienced such a horrible event from a young age, you still remember the moments of silliness with your family, which allowed me to further understand and transport myself into your experience. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us. Jad

I was especially struck when you explained how the Germans believed that those at the top of the Rwandan social hierarchy must have descended from people closer to Europe, assuming that their way of life could have been learned only from outsiders. This further emphasized how colonial prejudice created dangerous false narratives and fueled division.

Your description of how the genocide was carried out, almost like “work,” with breaks and pauses for the rain, was haunting. The thought that survival could depend on something as ordinary as the weather captured the chilling randomness of that time. I was also deeply moved when you said, “My first impression of humanity was genocide,” a statement that underscored the profound weight of your experience.

What made your talk so powerful was how you used storytelling as both a teaching and a healing tool. You shared that it found you naturally, guiding you toward recovery. Your image of hope as “a little friend that walks by your side” was especially moving.

By sharing your personal stories, you helped humanize the genocide and evoke a deep emotional response. Thank you again, Ms. Umanyana-Anderson, for your courage and message of hope.

Catherine

I found it incredible that you were smiling throughout most of your speech. Even when recounting the hardest times, you remember the funny and joyful moments. I will make sure to take your advice and always carry a little hope within me, no matter how hard things may be. Listening to your story showed me just how powerful it can be. Thank you so much for coming to Poly and sharing your wisdom. Sincerely, Ginny

Listening to you share your personal experience, interwoven with your artful ability to retell history, brought the Rwandan Genocide to life in a way that no textbook ever could. Although I’ve learned about it in class, your story added a profoundly human dimension that reshaped my understanding. Facts and dates alone can never convey the depth of emotion, resilience, and humanity that you shared with us today. Hearing your experience of being so young and navigating life through such unimaginable circumstances opened my eyes to my own life and gave me a new perspective on hope, one that will stay with me.

What struck me most was the work you’ve done since then. Using storytelling not only to remember but to help others understand shows true grace and compassion. Seeing you recall small moments of joy and speak of tragedy with a smile reflects a strength and courage I deeply admire. Your advice to carry hope “like a little friend” wherever I go was especially powerful; it spoke volumes about your dignity and optimism, and it’s something I’ll carry with me moving forward.

Thank you again for sharing your story with us. It was a profound and meaningful experience, one that I’m truly honored to have been a part of. Sincerely, Abby

I also appreciated how you explained the broader historical context, showing how colonial legacies and social divisions contributed to the genocide. Thank you again for your courage and openness. Your words remind us of the importance of empathy, resilience, and using our voices to educate and connect with others. Marcel

I also learned from you that long before the genocide, tensions were already rising, as many Tutsis had been forced to flee or were expelled. This knowledge showed me that the genocide was a tragedy that escalated gradually over time, not just a sudden eruption of violence.

Thank you for your courage in sharing your personal story. Hearing the perspective of someone who experienced the genocide as a child made me understand its horror in a deeply human way. Your honesty about the trauma that stayed afterward, both for you and for your family, helped me see how the effects of genocide last far beyond the time of violence.

Finally, thank you for showing me the power of storytelling as a form of healing and a way of ensuring that such atrocities are never repeated. 

Sincerely, 

Allison

Your reflection on your experience in the genocide was also so immensely powerful. Thank you for sharing your story with us, from before the genocide started with your parents to your healing process several years later. I felt the different waves of emotions through your story as you incorporated both sorrowful and humorous moments within your story. Through your detailed account of your story, even with the limited time we had, I saw what we had learned both in Global Scholars class and through an excerpt of your book in vivid detail. Before hearing your story, I had put more attention to the duration of the genocide itself, but you brought my attention to how the recovery process can be just as difficult. Thank you for your courage in telling us about your own story of recovery and your dedication to your siblings. Your selflessness in your dedication to them is so inspirational. From your account, I've learned how much of an effect the genocide could have on young children too. As you described, your first perception of humanity was through genocide, and through that I realize just how much of an impact this genocide had on multiple generations. And thank you as well for telling us about the country's recovery process following the genocide, including the return back to the judicial practices before colonialism and the removal of the ID cards.

Your presentation today has truly been one of the most powerful and moving speeches I've heard. Thank you again for giving us the opportunity to listen to you today. Sincerely, Kelly

I appreciated how you explained the international dynamics that contributed to the Rwandan Genocide. Hearing about the roles of Germany and Belgium, and how colonial powers influenced the divisions between Hutu and Tutsi, helped me understand how these social identities were constructed and manipulated. I was especially struck to learn about how the government had stockpiled machetes in preparation for the genocide.

What impacted me most, though, was hearing your personal story. The way you spoke about your experiences as a young girl, your confusion, fear, and even fleeting moments of excitement amid chaos, gave me a more vivid and human understanding of the genocide than any textbook ever could. When you said, “My first impression of humanity was genocide,” it struck me deeply. It reminded me how easy it is to reduce tragedies like this to statistics, and how vital it is to listen to voices like yours that remind us of the individual lives and emotions behind the numbers. I also admired how you wove moments of both sorrow and humor into your story, capturing the complexity of memory and resilience.

Thank you again, Ms. Anderson, for your courage and your dedication to preserving history through storytelling. Your words reminded me of the power of empathy and the importance of bearing witness to the truth. Katie

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your survival story with the global scholars today. I was really moved by your presentation and how you were able to share such an intense story with such optimism. 

Before your presentation, I only knew the background of the Rwandan Genocide, but your storytelling brought forth a much deeper and emotional understanding of the tragedies that took place. Many of the moments you described will stick with me. Your compassion inspired me when you talked about how brave you were with your siblings. I cannot even begin to imagine the events you lived through - your storytelling has really shifted my perspective on hope. The quote you mentioned about forgiveness being the act of choosing peace over pain will stick with me.

Your courage to share your memories was incredibly moving. I am grateful to have been able to hear your inspiring story.   Sincerely, Esmé

Your storytelling helped us better understand not only the genocide itself but also the strength it takes to live with hope after such unimaginable pain. I was particularly struck by your response to Atticus' question, and how “story telling found you” in your darkest moments. 

I was inspired by how you spoke about resilience, not as simply surviving, but as rebuilding, connecting, and creating meaning through your work as a writer and speaker. The way you shared your family’s story and reflected on your lived experiences provided a new perspective for us. We have been studying the genocide for some time now, but there are some things you can’t learn in numbers that you can through stories.

Your words helped us feel the difference between knowing about tragedy and feeling its human weight. You taught us that even from our darkest moments, hope can still exist, and that we should all dream and aspire to become something greater. 

Thank you so much for sharing your story with us. I can't articulate how moving it was. I can speak for my classmates when I say it was hard to focus on my next class after hearing you speak. Sincerely, Liam

We learned about the origins of the Rwandan Genocide and the aftermath with the process of creating memorials and Gacaca in class, but hearing your experience deepened my knowledge so much.

Your message of hope is so uplifting and inspiring. I think it's incredible that you are able to tell recount your memories and reflections about traumatic events with poise. Making self-deprecating jokes along with sharing those dark memories showed so much courage. I almost couldn't believe it when you said you used to be a bitter person after the genocide because today your compassion and capacity for forgiveness is larger than anyone would expect.

Thank you so much for answering my questions at the end. I'd always wanted to know how survivors from different genocides interacted with each other. It fills me with hope that identifying similarities between how genocides occur can build a common understanding between people that transcends nationality. After all, your lecture made clear that the hatred that fueled the Rwandan Genocide originated through dividing community. I cannot imagine how hard it was having to rebuild that sense of community in the aftermath. Before your talk, I hadn't fully processed that Gacaca courts could worsen a survivor's trauma or that the children of both perpetrators and survivors had to relearn how to live together.

Again, thank you so much for coming to Poly. It was an honor to hear your story.

Sophie

I loved how many different aspects of Rwanda, both before and after the genocide, were explored. Talking about how class distinctions eventually became the racial divide between the Hutu and Tutsi, the impact colonialism had on the structure of Rwanda itself, or the steady rebuilding of Rwanda after the genocide, through a short film. I greatly appreciated how you dived into all of these different parts of history to help explain the backdrop to 1994, but also explore how Rwanda has since thrived through a complete show of unity.

But most of all, I greatly appreciated hearing your story of survival. To escape one of the greatest modern tragedies in our world's history and continue to tell that story is a level of bravery most people never reach. The account of a young child escaping death due to the kindness of another person and learning to process that trauma to make sure no one forgets it is such an endearing tale that I was lucky to hear in person.

Thank you so much for coming to my school and finding time to work with us for an hour. I'm incredibly honored to have heard your story. Sincerely, Jack

What moved me even more was witnessing how that perspective evolved. Despite everything you endured, you found a way to rebuild your faith, whether that was through storytelling or human connection. Watching that transformation as you shared your journey was both emotional and inspiring; it showed me that even after unimaginable pain, it is still possible to heal and to find hope again.

Your words reminded me that healing means remembering with purpose —to honor and to prevent history from repeating itself. Thank you for your honesty and courage in sharing something so personal with us. You inspired me to see resilience as the choice to live with compassion and hope. Zara

Ms. Umayana-Anderson’s talent for weaving humor into such a tragic story was truly remarkable and brought her closer to us. Listening to her didn't feel like a superior adult lecturing a group of teenagers; instead, it felt like two equals having a heartfelt conversation. While she provided essential information about the genocide that only a survivor could convey in the way she did, she never acted as if she were above us. Her reflections left me pondering for hours about the power of hope. The way she personified hope as “a little friend” not to be taken for granted moved me to tears. I will definitely consider her advice and channel it into my daily life.

I'm confident I speak for everyone when I say that I am incredibly grateful for Ms. Umayana-Anderson’s time and vulnerability; retelling these kinds of stories is not easy, and I truly appreciate her strength and courage.

Thank you so, so much again, Ms. Umaya-na Anderson. You have changed my perspective not only on the tragedy of the Rwandan genocide but also on the beauty of life and hope, and for that, I am truly grateful.

Anastasia

While Ms. Umanyana Anderson described the history of colonial and post-colonial Rwanda, she mentioned how families with more than ten cows were Tutsi, and families who owned fewer than ten cows were Hutu. The simplicity of this explanation of Hutu versus Tutsi really drove home the point that these divisions had been drawn across class and not race. When contrasted with the complicated Belgian methodology of assigning ethnicities based on supposed European features, the straightforward class delineation highlighted the absurdity of their colonial rule. Overall, Anderson's personal anecdotes in combination with her retelling of history made her presentation unforgettable. I will cherish the personal stories she shared with us, as they are the most important piece for remembrance and healing from such a tragic event. Clive

Ms. Umanyana Anderson's presentation was heartbreaking, disturbing, thrilling, and at times even humorous, and all of these elements combined to give me a real window into her thoughts and feelings before, during, and after the genocide.

It was really hard to hear about all she had to go through at only four years old. She hadn't gone to school yet, or really ventured out past her family and neighbors. She said something along the lines of "my first impression of humanity was genocide." This tragic reality honestly made me value her strength even more. She spoke openly about her troubles with PTSD, self-harm, and religious qualms, and her candidness really helped me understand something so alien to me. Often when we talk about genocide, it's hard to attach humanity to the statistics, but Ms. Umanyana Anderson's presentation really reinforced the fact that every victim was a person with their own stories, families, and lives. If faced with similar circumstances, I'm sure that I would not be able to display the same strength as her. I was moved by the fact that, even after all she's been through, she's found a way to remain contagiously optimistic. In a way, her liveliness made the presentation scarily easy to imagine myself in. Even amidst the atrocity, she was able to find joy in her family, and later in life, share that joy with others. Her benevolence is incredible.

I'm incredibly grateful that I got the chance to hear from Ms. Umanyana Anderson, and I would like to thank her again for sharing her stories with us. Sincerely, Oliver

Before Mrs. Umanyana Anderson spoke to us, my knowledge of the Tutsi Genocide solely came from tertiary sources, which spoke more about numbers and statistics than personal anecdotes. Hearing Mrs. Umanyana Anderson's own personal story of the genocide was not only eye-opening, but it also allowed me to view the genocide through a personal lens, which helped me to understand what transpired during those 100 days more than any other source we had read before to the talk.

Despite witnessing people being murdered right in front of her, Mrs. Umanyana Anderson still felt the need to highlight something positive from the whole situation, which was the kindness and mercy shown by the Hutu man who saved her life. While she could use her storytelling to only vilify the perpetrators, she chose to highlight a slight piece of goodness in a sea of evil. This is a testament to the kind of person Mrs. Umanyana Anderson is and how much forgiveness and love she has for those who committed such horrifying acts against her and others.

Lastly, I appreciated how Mrs. Umanyana Anderson was candid about her emotions directly following the genocide. Instead of telling us that everything went back to normal right after the genocide, she was honest enough to share that she felt a lot of anger towards Hutu children at school, how her parents were shells of their former selves, and how she had to bear the immense weight of having to care for her siblings while her parents were still struggling mentally.

Once again, I would like to thank Mrs. Umanyana Anderson for such an eye-opening presentation that will truly stick with me for some time to come. Nicolas