From engineer to urban planner
Billy Ndengeyingoma’s time at MIT has been marked by transitions. He has moved from one continent to another, from an undergraduate program to a master’s, and from a civil engineering specialty to urban planning. Yet no matter what is happening in his life, he has learned to always make time for self-reflection. This practice has helped him discover a great deal about himself, and has pushed him to think deeply about the impact he wants to have on the world. Navigating dual cultures Ndengeyingoma, who grew up in Kigali, Rwanda, always thought he might go to the United States for college. (His brother and sister both completed master’s degrees in Atlanta.) After overhearing a conversation with a family friend whose son had attended MIT, he decided to apply. Ndengeyingoma’s first introduction to MIT was through International Orientation, where he and the other international students learned about U.S. culture. For Ndengeyingoma, the transition process...