Mukudzeiishe Madzivire

Pioneer was undeniably the most meaningful academic experience of my life. Through Pioneer, I got the opportunity to approach my educational journey with intentionality, developing my autodidactic instinct through the focused study of something I care deeply about. I led my own experience, and had to take initiative for my own progress and my learnings from my class. What I enjoyed most about Pioneer was the lively debates I had with my classmates. Although we all came into the course with different levels of understanding of the field of anthropology, and with vastly different perspectives on the topical areas of the field, our professor cultivated an environment that encouraged discussion and debate in ways that furthered our collective learning experience. Even when discussing sensitive issues such as the age-old anthropological question of the origins of race, we managed to keep the atmosphere engaging and respectful, critically assessing the merits and demerits of the arguments raised by anthropologists over the ages on this issue. Because of Pioneer, I have developed an expanded perspective of the world around me, seeing opportunities to learn and produce knowledge in every experience. I am a more confident, self-driven student because of Pioneer. Additionally, Pioneer was immeasurably helpful in supporting my college application journey. The assistance I received was always timely, and throughout the process I felt confident in the level of support I received from not just my professor and my cohort advisor, but from the Pioneer alumni engagement staff who demonstrated genuine care for my college application process and outcomes. Thank you Pioneer!