Tusiime doubted himself, but the community did not

By Michael Ainomugisha

For as long as he can remember, Marvin Tusiime Kagoro lived with this phrase in his mind: “You have potential.”

Teachers said it. His parents believed it. Yet throughout primary and secondary school, Tusiime rarely saw what everyone else seemed to see in him. 

He considered himself an average learner who simply worked hard while at City Parents School and St. Mary’s College, Kisubi. 

“I was always told that I had potential. But I was never the best in any class. I just kept hearing that I could do it,” he recalls. 

He recently confirmed why the teachers had faith in him. On July 3, 2026, three years after arriving at Uganda Christian University (UCU), Tusiime graduated as the institution’s best male student with a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 4.85 out of 5.0. 

Growing up, academic excellence was never part of the story he imagined for his life. Although he eventually earned a First Grade at O’level and scored 14 points out of 20 at A’level, Tusiime says those results felt more like unexpected victories than signs of exceptional ability. His greatest academic struggles came between Senior Three and Four, a period he describes as the lowest point of his education.

That mindset followed him when he joined UCU in 2023 to pursue a Bachelor of Business Administration. While many students arrived dreaming of first-class degrees or academic honours, Tusiime had a simpler ambition.

“I came to university hoping to survive and earn a degree. Being the best male student wasn’t something I imagined,” Tusiime said. 

Looking back, he believes his journey began to change when he saw the results of his first coursework and tests. They were better than he had expected. For the first time, Tusiime began questioning the limits he had placed on himself. 

“That was the first time I genuinely believed I could do more,” Tusiime says.

Semester after semester, his confidence grew alongside his grades. Friends increasingly turned to him during group discussions because he often broke down difficult concepts into simpler terms. 

Although no one else in the family had studied at UCU before, Tusiime’s mother believed it was the right environment for her son. She searched for accommodation, ensured tuition was paid on time and encouraged him to embrace an opportunity whose full impact neither of them could have predicted. 

 “As for my father, while growing up, I thought he was being hard on me, but now I understand he was preparing me for adult life,” he reflects. 

Another person whose actions influenced Tusiime is his late grandmother.

“She was my best friend,” he says. “She believed in me a lot.”

She passed away last year before witnessing one of the proudest moments of his life. Although she never saw him graduate as UCU’s best male student, Tusiime says her encouragement stayed with him throughout the journey.

Jazel Nduhura, a friend of Tusiime, helped him absorb the grief that gripped him upon the loss of his grandmother. “Nduhura was my anchor and made me change how I viewed the world.”

Beyond academics, university also taught him that success is often built through small choices made consistently; for instance, how one manages time, chooses friends and responds to distractions.

“I learned from other people’s mistakes. I knew when to be in class, when to study and how to manage my time wisely,” he says.

During the commissioning service ahead of graduation, Prof. John Kitayimbwa, the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, began recognising outstanding graduates.

Then Tusiime heard his name and, for a moment, he simply sat still.

“I was pleasantly surprised. I even forgot that I was supposed to stand for recognition. Kitayimbwa had to tell me to stand so people could recognise me. It wasn’t until I walked to receive the award that it finally became real,” he recalls.

Tusiime is already pursuing the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) qualification. He sees graduation not as the end of his education but as the beginning of another challenge for himself. Whether working in an organisation or leading one of his own, he hopes to leave every place and every person better than he found them.

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