I never thought that being a public speaker would teach me so much about life and make it so beautiful as well.

The benefits of Umuganda are not merely economic. The day is intended to build community involvement and strengthen cohesion between persons of different background and levels. One such a benefit is that people can access authorities to articulate their needs and voice opinions on various issues.

Make your education personal. When it matters to you, you will show up.

When you receive an education, you pass it on.

Set goals but be flexible.

Elie Wiesel and his book 'Night' have changed my life, shifting the way I see and treat people and inspiring me to fight injustices any way I am able.

My copy of 'Night' is dog-eared. The pages are filled with plastic colored 'flags' that are blue, green, purple, and yellow. Vocabulary is in the margins; phrases and sentences are underlined, some with pencil, and some with pen. Many words are circled.

'Night' may be one of the most important books that people can read today. It is a story of how hate can slowly take over a society. It shows what happens when people are dehumanized.

I want to listen to people's stories and find strength in them. There is so much human-caused pain and suffering in the world. I want to honor all those difficult experiences and acknowledge their aftermath. At the same time, I want to really see and love the world around me.

You have this one life. If you keep being selfish and unkind, it's going to come back to you.

We need to examine hatred on a global perspective because hatred is everywhere, and it does not matter who you are: you can be a victim of it anywhere and anytime.

Labels and classifications of any type are not law, nor are they written in stone. It's up to us to be aware of this and confront it and break through it by doing things that shock and surprise people because they thought we could never achieve at that level.

To the young girl who fails to see opportunities around her: Awaken the intellectual curiosity within you. Go on, search for those opportunities and chase after them! Because when you are curious and in 'search mode,' you will meet a lot of people and learn, and when you find opportunities, you will be exhilarated rather than overwhelmed.

I was the most tired 11-year-old in the world.

It is so important to share experiences with one another. Humans are so often in their own heads and not looking to others. But we have to realize that we are always invited to be a part of someone else's story - we are together in this.

I'm not a victim - I'm a survivor of hunger, of hate, of different injustices that humans are facing today.

I am thankful to those who've listened to my story over and over as well as those who've helped me share it. For me, the act of storytelling is an act of healing.

Growing up in Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda, I had a wonderful life, one that I have not experienced anywhere since, even after living in nine countries.

Like many American millennials, an 8th grade field trip first brought me into contact with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

The tradition of Umuganda is a beautiful and inspiring one. It connects people to their surrounds and creates a responsible community.

Words will never be enough to quantify and qualify the many magnitudes of human-caused destruction.

If we believe that a person seeking refuge is to be pitied, feared, despised, and looked down upon, we are doing ourselves a disservice.

I am not a refugee. I sought refuge for many years, but the word 'refugee' does not define me. It just limits me and puts me in a box.

It's taken a lot of years for me to learn how to share my story.