Young Leaders Academy of South Sudan

Congratulations, Chirilo Kuch Makur, on your acceptance to the University of Pennsylvania with a full ride scholarship. A former student of St. Mary’s Secondary School Kitende, Chirilo plans to study Neuroscience and other pre-med courses as he prepares to attend medical school after completing his undergraduate studies.

We can’t wait to witness the incredible contributions Chirilo will make to the lives of South Sudanese through healthcare.

All the best at UPenn, our future doctor (MD)!

Congratulations YLASS Scholar Nyariay Kic Nyang on your acceptance to Harvey Mudd College, one of America’s top tech colleges. This is such a well-deserved achievement, and we are so proud of all the effort, dedication, and passion that you poured into the application process. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for you and the great things you will accomplish for your country through technology!

Safe travels, YLASS student Yor Daniel! As a proud graduate of Juba Academy Secondary School, Yor is starting his fall semester at Haverford College in Pennsylvania, United States. We are confident that this is just the beginning of a remarkable academic and personal journey for Yor, and we eagerly anticipate the incredible contributions he will make to his country upon completing his education at Haverford. Wishing you all the best as you take this significant step toward a bright and impactful future!

YLASS graduate Julia Agum Mangar, a former student of Bishop Mozzalari Secondary School Rumbek, is heading to Harvard University this fall. With the support of the Young Leaders Academy of South Sudan, Julia was admitted to Harvard College in March with a full-ride scholarship. She plans to major in Biomedical Engineering and later attend medical school to earn her MD.

We are excited for her and look forward to seeing the incredible contributions she will make to her country. Safe travels Julia and all the best in college.

Scholar and Yale University rising sophomore Ghai Tit Buny returned home this summer to establish the Karl Popper Debate Society, a pioneering initiative aimed at enhancing students' skills in debate, public speaking, poetry, and career planning. A former student of Juba Academy Secondary School and a graduate of the Young Leaders Academy, Ghai is leveraging his education and experiences to provide high school students across South Sudan, particularly Jonglei and Juba, with a platform to develop critical thinking and communication skills.

Using his Yale education, Ghai is already encouraging a culture of dialogue and understanding among South Sudanese youth. His community service is particularly imperative in a country where access to opportunities for intellectual development and critical thinking are limited.

Ghai is an Economics, Ethics, and Politics student at Yale.

After evaluating over 1,000 applications, we are delighted to announce the selection of 15 YLASS Scholars. These students have demonstrated exceptional academic achievements and leadership in their communities, and we are confident they will succeed in the program and continue to contribute to those around them.

This month, the scholars will begin taking intensive writing and reading classes to improve their critical thinking, writing and rhetoric, which are essential to managing the rigorous college academics. Then, in June they will begin in-person classes in Juba to prepare for the standardized exams and complete their college applications.

Didi was driven by her passion for empowering girls through education. Didi’s journey was one of resilience, courage, and commitment to her community. She overcame immense obstacles to become one of the few girls from South Sudan to attend college on a full scholarship in the United States. And she did not stop there. She founded LetAllGirls, an organization dedicated to supporting girl child education in South Sudan. Didi’s dream was to create a world where every girl could pursue her education and dreams without hindrance. She aimed to dismantle barriers to education by mentoring hundreds of girls and instilling in them the skills and confidence to pursue their dreams.

Didi’s spirit and passion were contagious, and she left behind a community united in their determination to honor her memory by advancing her cause.

LetAllGirls is not just an initiative—it is a movement fueled by Didi’s love for her community and her belief in the power of education to transform lives.

Join us in celebrating Didi’s remarkable life and supporting her organization, LetAllGirls. Your contribution will help carry forward Didi’s vision and make a lasting difference in the lives of girls in South Sudan.

To contribute and learn more about LetAllGirls, please visit the GoFundMe page that friends of Didi at Babson organized: https://gofund.me/32a0746f

Congratulations to our amazing scholars, Yor Daniel Chol and Wol Bol Wol, on their acceptance to Haverford College and Whitman College, respectively. These are the first positive results from our Regular Decision applications. Stay tuned for more exciting news from now until March 28th, the Ivy League Decision Day as more scholars get their decisions.

Safe journey to YLASS Scholar Kuot Kiir. Kuot is beginning his fresh year at Stanford this fall semester.

YLASS scholar, Santino Makuei is on his way to Harvard. We wish him a safe flight and best of luck as he begins his fall semester.

We wish YLASS scholar Ding Mayen a safe journey and best of luck as she begins her orientation and fall semester at Babson College United States.