After joining the Church in 2020 in Zimbabwe, Primrose Kambamura’s first exposure to Brigham Young University-Idaho was while channel-scrolling on the TV in her brother’s room.
Watching Devotional
“The day after my baptism, I was just scrolling through the TV, looking at the channels. Then I came across this channel that was talking about Joseph Smith,” Primrose said. “I stayed on that channel for a little bit just to find out what it’s about because I wanted to know more about the Church, and an ad came up for BYUtv and I was like, ‘I wonder what that is?’”
Primrose’s curiosity led her to research BYU and learn about the Church Educational System.
“I searched on the internet and found that BYU is a Church university,” Primrose said. “I was like, ‘That looks so interesting. I want to go there. I want to know more about this.’ So, after that day, every day, I just went into my brother’s room to watch BYUtv.”
One of her favorite programs was the BYU-Idaho devotionals that were broadcast, and as she watched each week, she began to dream of attending in person.
“I would wait for the devotionals to come up because I felt one with the students who were going into the I-Center. I just set up some chairs and pretended like I was also a part of it,” Primrose said. “I thought, ‘I’ll wait for the devotionals, take notes, and just pray. I hope that one day I’ll attend this in person.’”
Applying with a Missionary’s Help
Living in Zimbabwe, Primrose was unsure if attending a BYU school was possible for her, but she decided to try. She mentioned her dream to a missionary serving in her area, and he helped her through the application and all of the paperwork.
“It was so hard,” Primrose said. “I had times of being like, ‘Yeah, maybe I should just let this go.’ But then this missionary, he kept pushing me, like, ‘No, don't give up, just keep going.’”
She almost gave up when she didn’t pass her first visa interview, but something inside her told her to return and try again, and she passed the second time and successfully made it to BYU-Idaho.
From Zimbabwe to Rexburg
Primrose described her transition from Zimbabwe to Rexburg, Idaho, as interesting, but also fun. Adjusting to the colder weather was difficult, but she loved the spirit of being surrounded by so many Church members.
“It’s like everyone is here to help one another and lift each other up,” Primrose said.
Being in such a supportive environment has allowed Primrose to grow.
“I feel like I've grown a lot and I've changed from who I used to be when I was still in Zimbabwe,” Primrose said. “I think when I was still in my country, I was someone who was always angry at people and not believing in myself sometimes. But here, people motivate you to do good and to have Christlike attributes.”
Pushed to Her Full Potential
Primrose is studying communication, with an emphasis in news and journalism.
One of the greatest things about attending BYU-Idaho, she said, is the ability to learn more each day, especially about herself and her abilities.
“I'm learning more about myself, that I can do greater things,” Primrose said. “People here, they push me to my full potential.”
Advice to Future Students: Keep Going
Her advice to other students is, “Don't give up, just keep going. And even if there are people who oppose you to what you want to do, just don't listen to them.”
She also encourages students to work with Heavenly Father to achieve their goals.
“It's best to tell Heavenly Father all your plans, your dreams, and He'll make it come true,” said Primrose. “If you communicate with Him more and stop listening to negative thoughts or negative people, then you can achieve what you want, too.”