AbrahamAwer Chol

My name is Abraham Awer Chol. I'm in my first year studying Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, and I'll graduate in 2030. I grew up in Juba, South Sudan. My country became independent in 2011, which makes it the youngest country in the world. Math was always the subject that made the most sense to me, and science came right after it.

In high school I spent most of my free time on math competitions. I placed first in the South Sudan Mathematics Olympiad and in the national Science Contest, and I got to represent my country at the Pan-African and East African Mathematics Olympiads. Meeting students from all over Africa showed me how much talent is out there, and how much of it never gets a fair chance.

Teaching ended up mattering to me as much as competing. My school, Darling Wisdom Academy, didn't have a science program, so I started one. We made liquid soap, ran experiments, and held training sessions for other students. I also taught math and physics to about 400 students, coached the national olympiad team, and started a training camp that 468 students from across the country joined.

At CMU I'm adding programming and computer science to what I already know. I want to use technology to solve real problems back home and in other parts of Africa. When I'm not studying, I'm usually helping younger students with math or taking a walk along the corniche in Doha.