It began with failure.

February 2024. I sat for the ISSEA exam, a gateway into my dream program in statistics and analytics. I failed.

But in the ashes of disappointment, I found clarity. I returned to my university in Douala, Cameroon, head high, heart bruised, but not broken. I wasn’t ready to quit.

And then, a poster changed my life.

It announced an Open Day and a Mathematics Contest by a university I had never heard of before. Strathmore University, Kenya. Out of curiosity, I walked into that contest uncertain and walked out with a scholarship for a Bachelor of Science in Statistics and Data Science course. A pivotal moment. A new beginning. One I hadn’t dared to imagine.

Two months later, I boarded a plane to Nairobi.

A Stranger in a New Land

I had never set foot in Kenya. The moment I landed, the air felt different, not just in climate, but in culture. Strathmore welcomed me warmly, from the Admissions Office to the quiet smiles from strangers who didn’t know my name but already made me feel less alone.

But it wasn’t easy.

Back home, “Mambo” was a chocolate bar. Here? A greeting. I smiled awkwardly, not knowing what to say. The language barrier, the accents, the jokes I didn’t get, the foods I couldn’t name. It was overwhelming. It didn’t feel like my land. Not yet.

Then I met Mr. Edwin Muga, Executive Assistant to the Vice Chancellor and a Kenyan who once lived in Cameroon. He knew the taste of Eru. He understood the weight of homesickness. His kindness became a bridge between the world I came from and the one I was entering.

The Day I Got Conned

I wish I could say everything went smoothly. But Nairobi taught me fast and the hard way. One day, I received a call from someone pretending to be a Safaricom agent. I didn’t understand Kiswahili. I didn’t know better. I lost 14,000 KES to a scam.

It hurt.

But it became a turning point. From that day, learning Kiswahili moved to the top of my list. Even now, my “Sasa, poa sana” draws cheers from my friends. It’s not perfect, but it’s progress.

As Jack Ma said, “When you learn another language, you begin to understand the culture. When you appreciate the culture, you make friends. And if you don’t have friends, how can you do business?”

That quote stuck with me because it’s true.

A Convocation That Changed Everything

At our first-year convocation, the Dean challenged us:

~Conquer your fears

~Read a book beyond your coursework

~Join a club

That’s when the real Ayden showed up.

And in just one year:

~I became Vice President of the Strathmore International Students Association

~I was awarded Best International Student

~I made the Dean’s List for the 2024–2025 academic year

I also joined the Strathmore Chorale, under the baton of Mr. Albert Apela, a choirmaster who teaches both music and emotion. Through melody, I found a new voice. One that didn’t need to be fluent in Kiswahili to be understood.

Philosophy, Frankl, and Finding My Why

There was one unit that terrified me: Philosophical Anthropology. I had come to Strathmore for numbers, not deep questions about humanity.

But it was in that very unit that I found meaning.

Mr. Robert Odero, our lecturer, recommended Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. That book shattered and rebuilt me. It taught me this: When you know your “why”, you’ll always find the strength to pursue your “how.”

I stopped asking what I wanted from life, and started asking what life was asking of me.

Community Is Everything

At Strathmore, I am part of a family. From WAYD and CRAABBI (friends squad names), to my ever-proud Cameroon community, I have built bonds that go beyond lectures. In a class of 50% Kenyans and 50% international students, I never once felt like an outsider for long.

I also volunteered during the 2025 Open Day. This time, not as a contestant, but as a representative of Cameroon. Full circle. From recipient to contributor.

What Strathmore Taught Me (So Far)

~Discipline is freedom

~Excellence is a habit

~Community is not optional; it is everything

I don’t have all the answers. But I have grown. I have learned. I have loved. And I have led.

One year ago, I was just a student from Douala with a dream. Today, I’m a leader. A thinker. A doer. And this is only the beginning.

Strathmore wasn’t just the right choice, it was the transformational choice. Not because of the academics, the energy, and the culture that make this place truly magical. I do not know what the future holds, but I know who holds the future..

“Driven by Numbers. Powered by Purpose.”

Article written by Ayden Demanou, 2nd Year Student from Strathmore Institute of Mathematical Sciences