Jean Jacques “JJ” Ndayisenga is a 21-year-old sophomore hailing from Kigali, Rwanda. JJ grew up in Rwanda and attended school there until age 17. He spent his last two years of high school at the United World College in Santa Ana, Costa Rica, and than applied to Colby. Back home in Rwanda, JJ has six siblings. His family farms grains, beans, maize, potatoes and bananas and other fruits. Here on the Hill, JJ is an economics major, and an administrative science and math minor.

Here on campus, JJ has earned the nickname “the Ambassador,” because of his unique gift of being able to strike up a conversation with almost anyone. JJ seems like he knows everyone on campus an is an incredibly active and involved member of the community. He is currently the dorm president of West Quad, and he works on the Student Government Association (SGA)’s Multicultural Affairs and Race and Racism Committees. JJ enjoys working on student government because it allows him to stay connected with lots of different activities and events that are going on on campus.

Just a few weeks ago, JJ created the Campus Clubs Coordination Group in an attempt to create better communication and collaboration among various student groups. This new group, which JJ likes to call 3CG, will oversee all student clubs, and ensure that they are accomplishing their goals. 3CG will also seek to better publicize club’s activities and events in a more comprehensive and accessible manner.

In addition to SGA and 3CG, JJ is involved with a large number of his own clubs here on campus. He is a member of the Hip Hop Alliance, the International Club, Colby African Society, Colby Chorale and will be a COOT2 leader in the fall. In his spare time, JJ likes to play soccer, basketball and volleyball, both through iPlay and unofficially with friends.  JJ has worked on campus over the summer, helping out with organizing and facilitating events, conferences and camps. Despite remaining on the Hill for the summer, JJ is a thoroughly accomplished world traveler, having traveled to India, China, Panama, Spain, Kenya and Canada.

    JJ’s  favorite part of life at the College is the people. He has realized that there is an incredible amount of people here on campus that care about others and about what is going on on campus. He also says that some of his favorite experiences on the Hill have been spending time with friends, whether it is working on clubs, playing sports or just hanging out telling jokes. JJ’s friends and peers look to him as an incredibly nice and helpful person who is also undisputedly a strong campus leader. If you see him around campus, stop and chat; JJ is a man of exceptional achievements.