From the University of California-Berkeley to Yale University, 500 young African leaders from sub-Saharan African countries are studying at academic institutions throughout the United States and gaining meaningful, life-changing experiences that will shape the way they interact with each other and help encourage further advancements in their respective fields. These young Africans are the first wave of participants in the Washington Fellowship, the flagship program of President Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) that empowers young people through academic coursework, leadership training, and networking.