Ndayishimiye Florence

Senior Ndayishimiye Florence became a campus trailblazer this spring as the first Presbyterian College student to enroll in one of the nation’s top-ranked schools for public affairs.

Last fall, Presbyterian College and Indiana University’s Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs created the O’Neill-Presbyterian Fellowship. Through the partnership program, qualified PC graduates are eligible to have their application fees waived, while admitted students like Florence receive a 25 percent tuition reduction toward their program of choice.

U.S. News and World Report’s Best Graduate School Rankings have the O’Neill School tied for first in masters degree programs in public affairs. Three specialty areas – environmental policy and management, non-profit management, and public finance and budgeting – are ranked number one nationally. Two areas – public policy analysis and public management and leadership – are ranked second in the U.S.

PC president Dr. Matthew vandenBerg, a graduate of the O’Neill School, said he is confident that Florence will join him as a proud alumna.

“Ndayishimiye’s intellectual curiosity, commitment to personal growth, and liberal arts training at Presbyterian College have prepared her well for the academic rigor she will encounter at the O’Neill School,” he said. “She is an experienced researcher and well-regarded campus leader who exudes energy, sincerity, and confidence in her interactions with others. She brings significant value to her new cohort of classmates at O’Neill.”

Florence and her brothers were born in a refugee camp in Tanzania to parents who fled the Rwandan Genocide during the mid-1990s. The family immigrated to the United States, settled in Dillon, S.C., and became naturalized citizens.

A deep interest in politics, especially geopolitics and international affairs, emerged from her early experiences and inspired many questions.

“As I’ve grown older, I’ve always wondered why the things my family went through happened in the first place,” she said. “That’s how I got interested in politics – finding ways to learn from that experience and affect change.”

Florence discovered that PC’s political science department was fertile ground for finding answers. There, she discovered caring mentors who nurtured her curiosity and challenged her academically.

Associate professor of political science Dr. Erin McAdams said Florence possesses “exceptionally strong skills in research design, qualitative and quantitative data analysis, and analytical thinking.”

Florence’s senior capstone research compared the effects of British versus French colonialism in African countries, combining statistical analysis with case studies. Her honors research project in political science was an extension of that project. She compiled an original quantitative dataset to examine the long-term effects of colonialism in Africa and Latin America. Florence also participated in the Summer Research Fellows program, studying portrayals of violence against women in the media.

“In each of these projects, I was impressed with her engagement of the research process, her professionalism in incorporating constructive feedback during the project, and her ability to draw empirical conclusions while also recognizing the important, normative implications of her research,” McAdams said. “While many other undergraduates would have shied away from the tediousness of so much data entry or the complexities of these types of statistical analyses, she forged ahead quite independently with a great deal of competence and self-discipline.”

McAdams said Florence is intellectually curious, self-disciplined and very driven.

“As the daughter of parents who escaped the Rwandan Genocide, she has solidified her desire to facilitate positive social and political change and to pursue a vocational path that will allow her to address the world’s needs creatively, and in a manner consistent with her strong moral compass,” she said.

Assistant professor of political science Dr. Ben Bailey echoed his colleague’s belief in Florence’s abilities and character.

“Ndayishimiye’s in-class performance is excellent; the work she produces is of the highest quality, and her participation in class discussion is unrivaled,” he said. “What is more impressive is her ability to take critiques of her course work (e.g., simulation bills; research papers) into account and use them to significantly improve the end product.

“In my experience, this is not something every undergraduate student is able to do. It demonstrates her maturity as a student and critical thinker. Outside the classroom, she has worked diligently with other student-leaders, myself, and staff to ensure that PC is a place that respects diversity in its student body and includes them in the decision-making process.”

Florence has earned a reputation as a leader throughout her time at PC.

She is a founding member and current secretary of PC’s first NAACP chapter and president of the Political Science Club. She also coordinates Student Volunteer Services and is a member of the Multicultural Student Union and the College Democrats.

Florence said she hopes a degree from the O’Neill School will launch a career with a non-profit or in diplomacy where her research and analysis skills can affect change.

“It starts with individuals,” she said. “Nothing changes if we don’t change or bring about awareness or make some changes ourselves. If we wait for everybody else to do it, we’re just saying maybe.”