In 2020, our newsroom was wowed by Tuuti Stephen’s story, having made headlines as the best male student at Makerere University’s 70th graduation.
His performance was outstanding but the life he lived as a student was more intriguing – “I had difficulties in feeding and I used to do manual labour around campus building sites to get food, I participated in painting of White House at Nsibirwa hall to get money for food, sometimes I worked in restaurants around campus to get food as a pay.”
Regardless of such hurdles, he was crowned the best male student after scoring a CGPA of 4.82 in Bachelor of Adult and Community Education.
Fast forward, five years later, this zealous gentleman has added another milestone to his academic journey.
During Monday’s opening ceremony of Makerere’s 75th graduation, Tuuti received his Master’s degree in Adult and Community Education, marking another chapter in his impressive academic career.
His story stands out among the 1,813 Master’s graduates in this year’s ceremony, not just for his previous academic excellence, but for his multifaceted contributions to academia.
While pursuing his Master’s degree, Tuuti seamlessly transitioned from student to educator, taking on the role of teaching and supervising undergraduate research and internships in the Bachelor of Youth Development Work and Bachelor of Adult and Community Education programs for three years.
His research work took him to the University of Agder’s Faculty of Social Sciences in Norway as an exchange student, fully sponsored by the Erasmus+ mobility scholarship. His academic pursuits were further supported by the Uganda Independence Scholarship Trust Fund under the Ministry of Education and Sports.
Moreso, Tuuti underwent specialized training as an Early Career Researcher through the British Writing Academy, participating in a collaboration between Makerere University and the University of Nottingham, UK. His research expertise was further enhanced through a research and publication project partnership between Makerere and Michigan State University in the USA.
In recognition of his capabilities, the Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic Affairs appointed him to transform two courses into blended learning formats for the Makerere University E-Learning Environment (MUELE) in 2023, as part of the Mastercard Foundation Scholarship Program partnership.
His story adds to the celebration of exceptional achievements at this year’s ceremony, which has already witnessed remarkable performances from graduates like Abdul Latif Umar Bagoole (Best overall; CGPA 4.97), Mubiru Enock Joel (BSc Maths & Physics; CGPA 4.91), and Alado Lawrence (LLB; CGPA 4.56).
Tuuti’s success story, marked by academic excellence, international exposure, and contribution to education, stands as an inspiration to current and future students. Believe! impossible is Nothing.
