Sheeline Yu ’25 believes she will always remember her first day at Dhow Countries Music Academy in Zanzibar. When she arrived at the start of the summer, the school’s headmaster asked her to play something on the violin.
“As I played, he let out gasps of delight, gathered the students, and then had me play their national anthem,” Yu recalls. It was an eye-opening moment. “This was an ordinary performance for me but clearly out of the ordinary for the students there. It completely renewed my dedication to advocating for access to music education.”
For eight weeks in the summer of 2024, Yu taught violin lessons at the academy to students ranging in age from teenagers to older adults. She also assisted with the academy’s outreach to rural villages and handled administrative duties while immersing herself in Tanzanian culture and local musical traditions.
“One of the greatest joys and challenges was learning to tailor my teaching style for each student so that we could communicate with each other effectively,” she says. “Adapting to new environments and communicating with a wide range of people are skills that I will use for the rest of my life, particularly since I plan to go into medicine after college.”
While the academy offers opportunities to learn instruments used in Western music traditions, like the violin, its primary focus is teaching the Arabic and African music styles of the region. Yu had the chance to join taarab ensemble rehearsals—a Zanzibari musical genre from the nineteenth century that the academy has helped to revitalize in recent years. By the end of the summer, she was jamming with the group. “One of my students even invited me to come back to play for her wedding,” she recalls.
Lessons in Music, Lessons in Life
Inspired by her summer in Tanzania, Yu returned to campus in the fall with ideas for expanding MusicConnect at Yale, an organization she and a friend established to create music outreach opportunities for Yale students around New Haven.
“MusicConnect began with two of us playing music in the lobby of Yale New Haven Hospital and grew from there,” says Yu. “I’ve seen firsthand in New Haven and in Zanzibar what a difference a musical foundation can make in someone’s life, and I plan to establish similar organizations in the future, wherever I end up.”
Yu feels infinitely grateful for the time she spent in Zanzibar—and for the fellowships that made the trip possible. “I learned so much about myself. That summer will influence me personally and professionally for a very long time.”
Engaging with the World
Each summer, hundreds of Yale undergraduates like Yu take advantage of opportunities to study, conduct research, intern, or participate in service work in the US or abroad. These experiences enhance a Yale College education by encouraging exploration, fostering intellectual curiosity, and helping students engage with the world beyond Yale. To fund summer endeavors, many students rely on a range of fellowships and programs, including the Summer Experience Award, which guarantees stipends for Yale College students on financial aid who engage in qualified activities.