Shaped by Mentorship: The Rise of Jed Kiragga

At seventeen, Jed Kiragga stands at the threshold of a rare opportunity: a year-long academic and cultural exchange in the United States.

He will represent Uganda through the Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program, a U.S. State Department initiative designed for promising young leaders. For most, the spotlight of such an achievement would be the beginning of the story. For Jed, it is the outward expression of a transformation that began nearly a decade ago: quietly, deliberately, and far from the cameras.

He was nine years old when he first joined the Boys’ Mentorship Programme. Reserved and unsure of himself, Jed had yet to discover his voice.

The programme did not rush him. It built him. Through discipline, structure, and exposure to the values of character and service, Jed slowly began to change. What he would become: a focused leader, a persuasive speaker, a grounded young man, was not found in a single moment, but shaped over time.

Early Beginnings with the Boys’ Mentorship Programme

Jed Kiragga was nine when he joined the Boys’ Mentorship Programme. He arrived soft-spoken and reserved, careful with his words and hesitant to place himself in the centre of attention.

He sat through the first few sessions quietly, always present but rarely heard. His posture reflected a boy still working out how much of himself he could bring into a room. His mentors did not push him forward. They created space for him to grow.

Each mentorship session emphasised personal discipline, moral responsibility, and emotional awareness. It wasn’t simply about speaking louder or becoming more visible. It was also about learning how to be grounded, how to carry oneself with intention, and how to move through life with clarity.

Jed was introduced to routines that required timekeeping, consistency, and attentiveness. Over time, these demands stopped feeling external. They became part of how he navigated his days.

In group activities, he started to offer input. His voice, once barely audible, became steady and purposeful. In sessions focused on moral decision-making, he asked questions that reflected a mind beginning to sharpen.

He approached small assignments with focus, whether leading a line, moderating a discussion, or helping younger mentees stay on task. There was no single moment of breakthrough. What emerged instead was a pattern: a boy who kept showing up, kept improving, and kept absorbing what the programme stood for.

By the time he turned twelve, those who had walked with him through the early stages began to speak of his dependability.

He carried himself with the discipline of someone who had learned to respect time, instruction, and responsibility. At school, this translated into quiet leadership. His teachers observed his conduct. His peers followed his lead.

Growth Within the Mentorship Framework

As Jed progressed through the ranks of the Boys’ Mentorship Programme, his posture within the structure began to shift. He no longer needed the same kind of scaffolding.

What began as a journey of personal formation gradually expanded into one of quiet influence. The structure that had once held him now leaned on him in return.

He became a consistent presence in the room: sharp in routine, firm in responsibility, and attentive to the needs of others. In group tasks, he was often the first to organise his peers, ensuring time was respected and instructions followed.

In discussions, he listened with intent, responded with clarity, and remained grounded, even in emotionally charged debates.

Within the mentorship setting, he became a stabiliser. Mentors began assigning him small groups to guide, trusting his sense of judgement and restraint. When tensions rose among boys during competitive challenges or logistical drills, it was often Jed who stepped in. He did not operate from authority, but from presence. Others followed because he led without posturing.

This phase of his mentorship was marked by a growing ability to operate under pressure. Leadership modules required boys to coordinate teams, solve real-time challenges, and make decisions without deferring to mentors.

Jed took to these environments with a quiet steadiness. He was never the loudest in the room, but his confidence had grown roots. When faced with uncertainty, he drew from structure. When given responsibility, he followed through.

Academic Journey and Achievements

The habits and mindset Jed developed within the mentorship programme found steady expression in his academic life. When he joined St. Mary’s College Kisubi (SMACK), he entered a space shaped by high standards and tradition. He did not seek attention. Instead, he earned it through quiet focus, thoughtful engagement, and a reliable sense of responsibility.

His leadership continued to mature in this environment. He became an active member of the school’s debate club. Here, clarity of thought, emotional control, and sharp reasoning were not optional. They were expected.

Jed stepped into this space with readiness. Each debate sharpened his ability to process, structure, and deliver ideas with purpose. The foundation he had received in mentorship now had a new outlet.

In debate settings, his confidence showed through measured expression. He delivered arguments without force or exaggeration. He stayed composed under pressure. Teachers recognised the structure in his thinking, while peers began to associate him with balance and precision.

His contributions stood apart not because they were built on principle.

After his time at SMACK, he moved to Taibah International School. In this new setting, Jed adapted quickly. The school valued initiative and critical thinking, and his discipline gave him room to thrive.

His character remained steady. He approached every task with the same attentiveness that had shaped him since the age of nine. With time, his presence became a reference point within the school community.

Recognition through the YES Program

This year, Jed Kiragga was selected as a participant in the Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program, an international initiative funded by the U.S. Department of State.

The program provides secondary school students from select countries with the opportunity to spend an academic year in the United States, where they attend high school, live with an American host family, and take part in leadership, volunteer, and cultural exchange activities.

In Uganda, the selection process is facilitated through EducationUSA Uganda and Michigan Fellows Africa Initiatives, working in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy in Kampala. Each year, applicants undergo a competitive multi-stage process that includes academic assessments, personal essays, interviews, and group tasks designed to evaluate leadership potential, maturity, and cultural adaptability.

Jed was among the few selected to join the 2025 cohort.

The announcement was made during an award ceremony at the American Centre Kampala, where Jed received formal recognition from embassy representatives. For many of the attendees, the moment marked the beginning of a transformative journey. For Jed, it affirmed a path that had been shaped by years of structure, discipline, and mentorship.

As he continues preparations for the exchange year, Jed remains enrolled at Taibah International School. He attends pre-departure orientations, engages with fellow participants, and remains anchored in the values that have defined his growth. His selection into the YES Program reflects a sustained pattern of conduct, one that the Boys’ Mentorship Programme helped set in motion, and one he continues to uphold with quiet confidence.

The Role of His Family

At a crucial point in the Boys’ Mentorship Programme’s early development, the need for financial support became urgent.

Sustaining the programme’s operations required contributions from those who believed in its mission.

Jed’s mother stepped forward. Her support arrived at a time when the structure that had shaped her son was facing serious limitations.

She gave not out of surplus or convenience but because she recognised the value of what the programme had begun to build. Her decision helped the mentorship structure continue serving boys with consistency and integrity.

It also gave Jed something to witness. He saw the relationship between belief and action. He understood that when something matters, it must be upheld through commitment.

Her involvement reinforced the stability of the programme during a time of real vulnerability. It strengthened the ground from which many would continue to grow.

Conclusion: A Life Taking Shape

Jed Kiragga’s journey reflects the purpose of the Boys’ Mentorship Programme with clarity. His development has followed a path shaped by structure, guided by principle, and reinforced through time.

Each phase, from his early participation to his emerging leadership, shows what becomes possible when boys grow within a framework that values consistency, restraint, and responsibility.

What we see in Jed Kiragga is not the result of one moment. It is the outcome of years marked by steady exposure to character, discipline, and service. His conduct speaks to the strength of a process that does not rush formation. It allows growth to settle, take shape, and stand on its own.

As he prepares to step into a new chapter, we honour the path he has walked so far. We recognise the focus he has maintained, the values he carries, and the maturity he continues to develop. We are proud of Jed. And we are proud to have contributed to a journey that continues to unfold with purpose.