When Andrea Wakori first began considering university courses, Communications was nowhere on her list. She imagined herself working in hospitality, fascinated by the precision and energy of the hotel industry. When the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic made that path feel less secure, she shifted her attention to International Relations. She pictured a future in diplomacy, travelling the world and representing causes bigger than herself.

Communications was an afterthought. In fact, it was her mother who first suggested the degree. “I remember thinking, ‘What is Communications?'” Andrea laughs. She enrolled with a simple agreement to herself: if she did not enjoy it, she could always change programmes later. She never did. Instead, she discovered something unexpected. The classes that challenged her most were also the ones that excited her most. Conversations about branding, strategy, media, and human behaviour revealed an entirely different way of understanding the world. “It felt like history and politics, which is what I thought being a diplomat was about,” she says. “But then I fell in love with the ideas.”

As the years progressed, Andrea realised that Communications was not simply about speaking or writing. It was about understanding people. It was about influence, relationships, storytelling, and purpose. Most importantly, it felt like home. That sense of belonging grew through experiences beyond the classroom. Initially focused almost entirely on academics, Andrea had little interest in student leadership. A friend’s encouragement eventually persuaded her to apply for the Student Senate, where she served as Communications Director.

Suddenly, the theories discussed in lectures had real-world applications. Building engagement, managing events, and creating meaningful connections with audiences transformed abstract concepts into practical lessons. “You start seeing how everything fits together,” she reflects.

Another defining chapter came through Strathmore University’s Service-Based Learning (SBL) programme. For several weeks, Andrea stepped away from campus life and into a completely different environment at the Kimlea Girls’ College Catering Department. She worked in housekeeping, spent time in the kitchen, and embraced responsibilities far removed from university assignments and presentations. The experience deepened her appreciation for work that often goes unseen. “It was a gift,” she says. “It taught me to value people and experiences I might otherwise have overlooked.” Her curiosity continued to guide her. 

During a university break, she proactively sought an opportunity at Mzima Springs Sacco. Despite having no background in finance, she found herself calculating loans, opening accounts, and learning entirely new systems. It was another reminder that growth often happens outside familiar spaces. Yet Andrea’s university journey was not defined only by achievements.

Around her third year, she experienced one of her most difficult seasons. The weight of academic commitments, leadership responsibilities, and personal pressures left her feeling overwhelmed and emotionally exhausted.

Looking back, she describes it as a period she remembers only vaguely. “I don’t have many memories of my third year,” she admits. What that season taught her, however, remains vivid. Success requires rest. Ambition requires balance. And resilience sometimes means recognising when to pause. The lesson would prove valuable as she continued navigating university and preparing for life after graduation.

Perhaps no experience captures Andrea’s growth more clearly than a solo trip she took to Rwanda while benchmarking college studios at the Rwanda Polytechnic College in Kigali and the Communications department of Kepler College . For the first time, she travelled alone. She organised her accommodation, navigated unfamiliar systems, interacted with strangers, and explored a new country entirely on her own. By the time she returned home, something had changed. “I came back a changed and empowered young woman,” she says. “If I can go to another country by myself and survive and be okay, I can do anything.” That confidence reflects the person Andrea has become during her time at Strathmore.

The young woman who once questioned whether Communication was the right choice now sees endless possibilities ahead. She hopes to build a career in development communication, using storytelling and strategy to create meaningful impact. And while she may not have followed the path she originally imagined, she has learned something far more valuable. Purpose is not always found in carefully laid plans. Sometimes it reveals itself in unexpected conversations, unexpected opportunities, and unexpected turns. For Andrea Wakori, that unexpected path led exactly where she was meant to be.

Article written by: Briege Mwangi