Skip to main content

Fall 2024 Grad Finds Home Away From Home at UNO

Gaston Osee Kasongo Kant Bwele reflects on his three years at the University of Nebraska Omaha.

  • published: 2024/12/20
  • contact: Annie Albin - College of Arts and Sciences
A man wearing a patterned sweater leans on a desk and smiles warmly. Behind him is an abstract orange and yellow painting on a white wall.

Gaston Osee Kasongo Kant Bwele stands in Arts and Sciences Hall.

Finding a home away from home wasn’t hard for this international Maverick.

Originally from Congo, Gaston Osee Kasongo Kant Bwele set his sights on the University of Nebraska Omaha after hearing about the institution from a family friend. A seasoned traveler, he had already spent time learning abroad in both China and South Africa and knew that he wanted his next educational experience to be in the United States.

His arrival in Omaha in Fall 2021 would mark the beginning of three transformative years of academic acceleration and community connections.

“The very first week, the very first day, I felt very welcomed,” Bwele said. “I felt like, you know, the people that I was meeting wanted me to be here, and that they were available, and that they were supportive of me.”

After exploring UNO's diverse range of courses, Bwele decided that economics would be the best fit for his many musings. With interests in the social sciences, computer science, geography, and statistics, his economics studies allowed him to explore multiple subject areas while still contributing to the courseload for his major and Spanish and psychology minors.

“I'm a very eclectic person,” Bwele said. “I value the multi-disciplinary aspects of life and also of economics.”

Bwele hopes to attend graduate school for business analytics, and eventually return to Congo. With his earned expertise in business and economics, he hopes to make a long-lasting contribution to his country and its many natural resources.

But no matter where he goes in the world, Bwele knows that Omaha will always hold a special place in his heart.

While at UNO, he embraced every opportunity to give back to the university and local community. He worked as a peer success mentor, participated in service-learning opportunities in South Omaha, and strengthened his global network as a student ambassador to UNO’s Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative Institute on Civic Engagement or Balkan Youth Leaders Civic Engagement Fellowship Program.

“There's just such a melting pot of experiences and people and positions that I've been exposed to and that that I've had the chance to be part of,” Bwele said. “And that's what I think sets Omaha apart from all those different places.”

From making worldwide friendships to finding the perfect major for his path, UNO has been everything Bwele imagined it could be.

"Omaha makes me feel valued," Bwele said.