Alumni Spotlight

“Vienna Made Me Believe in Education Again”: Christine Kesande on Confidence, Community, and Coming Full Circle

Christine Kesande_Class of 2005

Entrepreneur

For Christine Kesande, stepping through the gates of Vienna College Namugongo in 2003 was more than just a new chapter it was a turning point that rekindled her love for education.

“I had come from a very strict missionary school system,” Christine recalls. “Corporal punishment was the norm. You could get punished for someone else’s mistake. Education felt like a burden.”

But at Vienna, things were different.

“It was welcoming. It was warm. No one cared who your parents were we were all treated equally,” she says. “It made me feel like I belonged.”

Christine graduated in 2005, and today she is a thriving entrepreneur running a children’s park and events space, a place where families, especially fellow alumni with kids, can reconnect and celebrate life’s milestones. “We host birthdays, team-building events, family gatherings. It’s more than business, it's a way to build community,” she says with pride.

A Seed Planted in Art Class

Her entrepreneurial roots trace back to an art class at Vienna, where a teacher, Madame Mirian, asked students to create businesses from their names.

“That’s how I came up with 'Keres' from KE in Kesande and RI in Christine. I still use that name today, even on social media,” she says, smiling. “Madame Mirian didn’t just teach art; she taught us to see ourselves as creators.”

Christine speaks fondly of the friends she made friends who have become lifelong companions through marriages, children, and shared milestones. “Vienna gave me friendships I still treasure today. Most of my closest friends are from those years.”

Overcoming Fear, Finding Her Voice

One of the biggest challenges Christine faced was unlearning the fear-based discipline from her earlier schooling. “I was timid. I was scared to ask questions. But at Vienna, I learned that speaking up wasn’t something to be punished it was encouraged,” she says. “That gave me confidence that carried me through university abroad.”

After Vienna, Christine studied business management in the United States, attending Alfred University in New York and later the University of Central Missouri. Being a student in a new culture was daunting but her time at Vienna helped her adapt. “I was already used to engaging, expressing myself, working in teams. That made the transition smoother,” she says.

Driven by Legacy

Today, Christine’s motivation is legacy. “I want to build something for my children, something they can be proud of,” she says. “My husband has his path, but for me as a woman, as a mother I want to put something meaningful on the table.”

She is passionate about technology, public speaking, and entrepreneurship, and encourages today’s students to embrace those tools early. “Don’t skip the hard work. Learn how to speak well. Learn technology. AI is here, embrace it. You need these skills to thrive,” she says.

Still Vienna at Heart

Christine’s loyalty to Vienna runs deep; five of her siblings also attended the school. “My father loved Vienna so much he made sure we all went there,” she says. “It gave us more than just education, it gave us belonging.”

She supports the alumni events wholeheartedly, calling them a way to give back to a school that gave her so much. “I want to be remembered as someone who’s always there, always supportive of the Vienna community,” she says.

As she reflects on her journey, Christine is clear on one thing: “Vienna made me believe in education again. It shaped the woman I am today.”