Steven Mucyo

McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University

“I am the introvert who gets excited to meet people because why not?”

Fun fact about yourself: I became certified as a lifeguard in one weekend.

Hometown: Kigali, Rwanda

High School: Uganda Martyrs Secondary School and Bridge2Rwanda Scholars

Major: Finance, Operations and Information Management

Minor: French

Favorite Business Course: Global Business Experience—Lille, France

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:

Georgetown Global Consulting | Washington, D.C. | Client Recruiter, Senior Consultant, Consultant

Georgetown Lemonade Day | Washington, D.C. | Lead Volunteer

Georgetown Collegiate Investors | Washington, D.C. | Senior Finance Analyst, Finance Analyst

Georgetown University Chess Club International | Washington, D.C. | Secretary, Treasurer

African Society of Georgetown | Washington, D.C. | Events Committee, Social Media Personnel

Georgetown Fintech | Washington, D.C. | Head of Marketing

McDonough School of Business Undergraduate Peer Ambassador Program | Washington, D.C. | Captain

McDonough Undergraduate Research Fellow 2017 and 2019|Kigali, Rwanda| Lead Researcher

Yates Field House | Washington, D.C. | Customer Service Representative, Lifeguard

PwC Smart Start | Washington, D.C. | Mentor

Awards

Arrupe Scholarship Program Award

1st place in an IBM team hackathon at Georgetown University

Where have you interned during your college career?

Dalberg Advisors—Kigali | Kigali, Rwanda | Analyst | Summer, 2019

Afritech Energy | Kigali, Rwanda | Analyst | Summer, 2017

Knowledge Lab | Kigali, Rwanda | Intern | Summer, 2017

Where will you be working after graduation? I will be working as an Analyst at Dalberg Advisors—Kigali.

What company do you admire the most? The company I admire most is Dalberg, a strategy consulting firm that focuses on development. Dalberg has been my dream company ever since I learned about it in 2017. Growing up, I have always been interested in alleviating issues in my country, Rwanda, and Africa as a whole. Dalberg is the company that aligns with my interests and values to help my people overcome these obstacles. During my 2019 summer internship, I had the opportunity to work at their Kigali office, connect with wonderful individuals, and experience the hands-on work of greatly impacting various sectors in developing countries.

Who is your favorite professor? Professor Ricardo Ernst is my favorite professor at Georgetown University for various reasons. From taking my first business school class with him to having him as a faculty supervisor for my summer research projects, Professor Ernst has guided me and given me constructive feedback on how to best tackle the impediments I have been facing in and outside of the classroom. I truly value the relationship we have and am happy to not only call him a professor and a mentor but also a friend.

What did you enjoy most about your business school? I have enjoyed meeting and working with students as well as the academic advisors within the business school. Having come into the business school as an international student who had never been in the US before, I met amazing people who embraced me and helped me transition into the system, which was essential for my growth. I found both an overall friendly and competitive environment — one which challenged and molded me into a better student. Throughout my experience in the business school, I met various people from different parts of the world and built strong relationships that will last beyond college.

What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? With the world becoming more globalized, everything in business affects someone else regardless of their status or location. It is one thing to study business as a concept in itself. It is quite another thing to see business as something that affects everyone on a global scale. My business school classes enforced the idea of engaging in businesses that take into account the community’s well-being, which is indispensable for the betterment of the world as a whole. I have taken this lesson and I aspire to give back to my community by creating employment opportunities and enabling more access to education.

What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? I would advise the student to learn how to collaborate with other people and most importantly to be open to learning. Throughout my four years in college, I cannot recall a semester where I did not work in a group for the class. This system enabled me to understand how to connect and learn from other people, which is a great skill to have. From my experience, I discovered how helpful it is to know who to work with and also how to leverage my strengths within the group in order to produce the best quality of work. This skill was very essential when I did my internship because I was working in a group, and we had to work as a unit. In addition, I learned how important it is to have an open mind because the business world keeps changing, and the change differs in various places. This demands welcoming new ideas since the business environment is constantly getting more competitive, commanding a need for creativity.

What has surprised you most about majoring in business? I was mostly surprised by how much of an impact business has on a global scale. In my various business school classes, we learned about how companies are becoming global and about the negative externalities that arise from their expansion abroad. It is usually difficult to think about how big companies can impact the communities in which they operate, especially in developing countries where the culture and expectations vary from those in the domestic markets. This was not a surprise as a concept but understanding the extent of the role businesses play in different communities was mind-blowing.

Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? I am most proud of having done summer undergraduate research in the McDonough School of Business. Through the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows (SURF) program, I was provided funding to research the impact of payment systems and technology in Rwanda for two summers. This experience was fulfilling because I got a chance to take up research skills and to meet and connect with people within my home country. This opportunity also allowed me to fully explore a passion of mine while filling gaps in the already available information about technology and how it can impact Rwandans.

Which classmate do you most admire? The classmate I admire the most is my best friend, Tre’ Bohannon, who I met in my first year at Georgetown University. He is one of the smartest and yet most caring people I have ever met at Georgetown. I have learned from him how to always keep evolving and working to better myself. It’s important to not become complacent in life and to always work to better myself, be an example and team player to those around me, and make the best out of every situation. Growth is a topic we discuss a lot amongst one another, and I believe that always striving for excellence has allowed me to make the most of my time at Georgetown and in life.

Who would you most want to thank for your success? I would like to thank David Yeyeodu who guided me since my first year in college as my Georgetown Scholarship Program (GSP) mentor. He is the one person that I felt comfortable asking for help just about everything, and he grew to become a brother to me. David not only offered his time and help, but he also introduced me to his friends who also became family during my whole time at Georgetown. In addition, he helped me with my classes when things got hard and provided advice when I needed it the most. I am honored to have had him as my mentor and cannot thank him enough for everything!

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?

1. Make an impact in my community: I have always been impressed by how fast my country has developed and am excited to be part of the change through starting businesses that will help mitigate social issues like homelessness.
2. Give hope to the younger generation: I hope to share my experiences with the younger generations from home and show them that they can also get the chance that I have been given. I pray my journey here gets to inspire more people to make the most out of their education.

What are your hobbies? In my free time, I talk to people because I have discovered how much I can learn from the lives and experiences of others. In addition, I enjoy reading and learning about financial technology and how it intersects with development, which is something I expect to build my career upon. I also occasionally play some pickup basketball with friends and watch movies when I can.

What made Steven such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2020?

“As Steven Mucyo’s academic dean, I have had the distinct pleasure to work with him over the past three-and-a-half years and have observed a mature and engaging young man who has worked diligently to achieve his academic goals.  Steven has excelled academically, majoring in both Finance and Operations and Information Management (OPIM). More importantly, Steven truly embodies the Jesuit idea of “men and women for others” and is a student that enrichens the Georgetown community. He believes in maximizing his time and energy and recognizes the importance of giving back.

Over the last two years, Steven has led the McDonough Peer Ambassador (PA) program. The PA Program is a mentoring program for new first year and transfer students that helps link current McDonough undergraduates with new students to help as they transition into this new academic environment by offering them advice and support. Steven knows that what makes the Georgetown community so strong is the people and the relationships that are built here. He is someone that others count on and he takes this responsibility seriously and to heart. Whether it is running our PA blog, serving and moderating panels on transitioning to Georgetown, or helping to lead a workshop on “Preparing for a First Accounting Exam,” Steven always gives his 100%.

Additionally, in my role as Senior Assistant Dean, I served as the staff coordinator for Georgetown University’s partnership with other local universities to promote Lemonade Day DC. Lemonade Day is a national non-profit organization that empowers young entrepreneurs by teaching them business skills, where college students mentor elementary school children so they can open their own lemonade stand.  Steven was one of three student leaders who were instrumental in this service experience succeeding. Steven helped to recruit and train student participants from the Georgetown community and then co-led the mentoring sessions at the elementary school we partnered with. Steven was able to demonstrate his natural leadership skills and his love for entrepreneurship to both the children he mentored and his Georgetown peers!

While an undergraduate student, Steven was awarded the McDonough Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) twice. His research, under the guidance of Professor Ricardo Ernst, focused on Rwanda’s technology revolution and how the culture of entrepreneurship, government policies, and private industries have come together to foster a smart city of innovation. Mucyo’s papers are entitled, “Is Rwanda’s Tech Infrastructure Ready for the New Technology Wave?” (2017) and “The Revolution of Technology in Rwanda and Its Impact on Business and Entrepreneurship.” (2019)

Dean Daniela Brancaforte, manages the SURF program. She shared, “Steven is passionate about the impact of technology on his native country. While conducting research in Rwanda over two summers, he explored how his country is becoming a cashless economy and adopting technological solutions much quicker than other more developed countries. Steven is always eager and willing to share his experiences and mentor other students interested in undergraduate research. He is a true pleasure to work with, and he embodies the best of our McDonough students and undergraduate researchers.”

Finally, Steven has a warm and friendly demeanor. He goes out of his way to get to know his peers, his faculty and administrators on a deeper level. He makes time for these relationships and this helps to set him apart. His smile and positive outlook on life (even when dealing with challenges) make others want to engage with Steven. Others know that he is someone who can be counted on and this helps to strengthen and enrichen the McDonough and Georgetown community.

In my work, I feel truly blessed to meet and work with students who help to inspire me. Steven Mucyo is one of these students!”

Deb Coburn
Senior Assistant Dean for Advising and Student Services

 

“I had the pleasure of having Steve as a freshman student for my First-Year Seminar. The seminar requires extensive discussions and I told his classmates how fortunate they were of sharing first-hand experiences with a native from Rwanda. In addition to all the great things that have been said about him regarding his academics (which I also share), Steve is a true Ambassador for Rwanda! Very proud of his country (as the two research projects indicate), with a true commitment to help them and bring back the knowledge he has acquired abroad. Through him we can clearly see the kindness of the people of Rwanda… his invitation to his country is appealing and genuine…. you definitely want to go! Steve is the perfect example of not only what Georgetown has done for him but also what he has done for Georgetown… opening our eyes into a magnificent place called Rwanda.”

Ricardo Ernst
Baratta Chair in Global Business

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