CMU-Africa student visits Pittsburgh for a semester
Hope Reveche
Dec 14, 2023
Rachel Ayateke is a second-year master's student completing her degree in information technology at Carnegie Mellon University Africa. After finishing her undergraduate studies in computer science in Rwanda at African Leadership University, she came to CMU-Africa where she discovered an interest in human-computer interaction and design. Wanting to broaden her educational experiences, she is a part of CMU-Africa's student exchange program where she is currently studying in Pittsburgh for a semester.
"Kigali is very rich in terms of African culture," Ayateke says. "But there aren’t many people from outside of Africa. So far, this has been an opportunity for me to see people from outside of Africa and see how they think, how they respond in class, and how they interact in a classroom." When she returns to Africa in the spring, she aspires to complete her degree and work more with user experience design following graduation.
While adjusting to the six-hour time difference between Kigali and Pittsburgh was difficult for the first couple weeks of the semester, Ayateke soon got used to the new city. "One of the courses with Daphne Peters from the School of Design called 'You are here: Place & Identity' had me walking around neighborhoods like Shadyside and Downtown," Ayateke says. "When I first picked my classes, I wasn’t sure how applicable they’d be to what I wanted to do, but when I talked to Daphne, she gave me tips to succeed and told me not to worry or be scared."
Ayateke walking on the Pittsburgh campus
In addition to "You are here: Place & Identity," the two other courses she is taking are also project-based and involve hands-on learning. In her "Data and Inference" class, she is learning about machine learning and building models while her "History and Future of Interaction Design" has her working on unique projects that will change the future of interaction design.
Although her studies are her priority, Ayateke has gotten involved with the Catholic community and tried pet therapy outside of class. She is also interested in the range of fitness training sessions and facilities CMU offers. "My biggest surprise in coming to Pittsburgh was actually the weather! I was expecting fall when I got here so I came prepared with sweaters, but it was really still summer."
