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John Kafumbe ’28 feels fortunate. The international high school he attended in Uganda set him up for success as a college student in the United States.
Teachers implemented an American curriculum, and counselors guided him through the application process, helping with AP classes and practice SATs and emphasizing the importance of extracurricular activities. On his list of possible schools, Kafumbe decided on Grinnell College as his “reach” school: the one he really wanted to attend but wasn’t confident he would be accepted into.
“The Grinnell application process was daunting, but it ended up being smooth sailing,” he says. “I was accepted early decision, and the financial aid package was one of the best that could be offered.”
Entering his second year at Grinnell, Kafumbe has become the first recipient of the Gurira Family Scholarship. The award supports students with financial need with a preference for African international students. Established in 2023 by Grinnell College Board of Trustees member Christina Cutlip ’83 and her husband, Mark Cutlip, the scholarship honors Christina’s aunt and uncle, Rogers and Josephine Gurira.
Natives of Zimbabwe (called Rhodesia at the time), Rogers was a chemistry professor at the College from 1973 to 1983 while Josephine was evening supervisor at Burling Library. Cutlip, who is also from Zimbabwe, lived with them while she attended Grinnell.
“If it wasn’t for my aunt and uncle, I wouldn’t have known that Grinnell existed,” Cutlip said shortly after establishing the scholarship. “Part of the idea behind the scholarship was to honor them because I know what attending Grinnell has done for me. But I also wanted to make sure that people like me – students coming from Africa – get the opportunity that I had. There is so much need in Africa. It’s important to get some of those students to experience Grinnell. The education they would get here is different. It has a much more global outlook.”
Kafumbe’s outlook has already expanded in college. The Office of International Student Affairs eased his transition to the U.S., helping him navigate everything from pick-up at the airport to securing a driver’s license. That welcoming foundation has enabled him to make new friends from other countries and form relationships with professors and classmates.
After a decade in Iowa, the Gurira family returned to Zimbabwe in 1983. Roger spent the next 25 years teaching chemistry at the University of Zimbabwe, while Josephine served as head of public services and the deputy university librarian.
“Roger and Josephine are very passionate about Grinnell, and the time they spent here left a mark on them,” Cutlip says. “The College took a chance on them in the 1970s. That demonstrated how ahead of the curve Grinnell was. It didn’t matter that they were from Africa or were of color. This is the place the family loved the most. They felt most at peace when they were at Grinnell.”
Kafumbe, too, is making a home in Iowa. Competing with the Grinnell swimming and diving team has contributed to a feeling of belonging. While he played sports in high school, none of the teams were as large as the 50-member collegiate squad. He and his team members have bonded through new experiences like the long bus ride to Florida for winter training. A conference title capped the year of competition last season.
Kafumbe believes the scholarship will help students from Africa in two ways – by giving students the opportunity for a degree, and by educating promising leaders who will return home and make life better for their communities.
Though still discerning his career path, he is leaning toward a career in economics. In this way he may also follow Cutlip’s footsteps; she majored in economics and recently retired from the institutional financial services division of TIAA.
“In my best-case scenario, I will earn a post-graduate degree, then go back home and help out how I can,” Kafumbe says. “This scholarship can help more students like me be impactful in a way that matters.”
Contributing writer
Read more about the Rogers and Josephine Gurira’s careers and time in Grinnell in a summer 2023 Grinnell Magazine article.
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