Growing opportunities as a Mastercard Foundation Scholar

Maurine Gatimu (MSIT '25) wanted to be "so many things" when she was in primary school, from an astronomer to a cardiologist. But she eventually chose math and computer science, which she studied as an undergraduate at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology in Kenya. Growing up, she loved mathematics, and computer science was new and intriguing: "I chose data science because it combined something I love and something new. I couldn’t settle for just one of them," she says.

After graduating, she spent five years in Nairobi working as a data consultant and analyst. Gatimu enjoys working with all types of data, from health to finance.

"I love being able to figure out what to do next with the data, even if I am not familiar with that type of data," she says. "What does this data tell me? From the analysis, I try to visualize it and create a story with it."

She wanted to grow beyond the basics at her job, so she enrolled in the Master of Science in Information Technology (MSIT) program at Carnegie Mellon University Africa. She was accepted into the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, allowing her to attend CMU-Africa and opening a wealth of new opportunities for her.

At CMU-Africa, she performs research with generative adversarial networks and machine learning on MRI images of brain scans with her advisor George Okeyo, associate teaching professor and director of academics. She trains the algorithms to better detect neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s, or to determine if injuries like minor concussions could progress to something more severe. She conducts this research as part of a practicum project, a required component of the MSIT program.

Beyond her work, she tells stories and hones her communication skills as the president of the local Toastmasters chapter, the Techie Talkers. She leads about 30 members of the club in exercises meant to improve their public speaking. She first encountered Toastmasters as an undergraduate, and that prior experience is what brought her to leadership here.

"I love the creativity that comes with public speaking," she comments.

Gatimu credits the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program with allowing her to focus on her schoolwork and activities while not needing to worry about finances. In addition to the full scholarship, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program also includes activities to give back to the local community. Gatimu and her fellow Mastercard Foundation Scholars have visited a refugee camp to teach information and computer technology basics and professional development skills to children there.

"As a Mastercard Foundation Scholar, you give without even having to think about it—that's something Mastercard Foundation has really helped me do."

Gatimu is spending a semester in Pittsburgh, starting January 2025. She is looking forward to her first winter experience, along with exploring the city and getting to know people of many different cultures. She will also be able to take classes at the Pittsburgh campus that are not offered at the Kigali location, such as Generative AI and Foundations of Computational Data Science.

Throughout her journey, she has been inspired and encouraged by her friends and family, and she thanks them for all of their support. She advises current and prospective students to "find friends, because those are the people you get to lean on every time things get difficult."