“Strathmore University has a large and diverse community, yet its standards are visible in the places you move through every day. You experience them from the gate to the classrooms and in every corner of the University. The consistency really impressed me.” For Izel Kipruto, Director of Strategic Communications at Education Sub Saharan Africa (ESSA), learning has never been limited to a classroom or a season of life. It has always been a continuous journey of growth, curiosity and contribution. This year, she graduates with a Master of Science in Educational Management, a programme that not only deepened her understanding of education systems, but also strengthened how she thinks about leadership, evidence, values and the people at the heart of education.

Her work at ESSA, a non-profit organisation working to strengthen education systems through evidence, has brought her close to questions of policy, research, education and impact. Over time, her curiosity about how education systems work, and how they can be improved, grew stronger. Returning to the classroom became a deliberate step towards becoming more useful to the people and systems she serves. Looking back, Izel describes the decision as one of the best investments she has made in herself.

Where Standards Shape the Experience

Strathmore University starts with the letter S. For Izel, that S stands for standards. Those standards, she says, were visible in the quality of teaching, the depth of class discussions, the expectations placed on students and the consistency of the University experience. She particularly valued the diversity of lecturers and guest speakers, who brought different professional backgrounds, experiences and perspectives into the classroom. Their contributions pushed students to look at familiar questions differently and to think beyond obvious answers. “Good teaching gives you knowledge. Great teaching changes the questions you ask,” she says.

For Izel, Strathmore offered more than academic instruction. It offered a learning environment that invited reflection, challenged assumptions and encouraged students to engage deeply with the issues shaping education today.

A Community That Walks With You

Beyond the academic rigour, one of the things Izel valued most was the warmth of the Strathmore community. Her lecturers and supervisors were accessible, generous with their knowledge and committed to the success of their students. They created room for questions, reflection and deeper thinking, making the learning journey feel supported rather than solitary.

Serving as Class President during her studies also gave Izel a different view of the student experience. It allowed her to listen to her classmates, understand their perspectives and contribute to their shared journey. In many ways, that responsibility reinforced what she was already experiencing across the University: a culture where people cared about the quality of the journey, not just the final outcome.

Izel appreciated how the programme connected coursework, assignments and research to practical realities. The work-based assignments were especially valuable because they allowed her to apply what she was learning directly to her professional context. This changed the way she experienced learning. She was not only gaining knowledge for academic purposes; she was gaining ideas that helped her understand her work from new perspectives.

Through the programme, she began to see more clearly that leadership is about more than expertise. It requires judgement, values, listening, learning and the ability to make decisions with the greater good in view. The Anthropology and Ethics in Education course stayed with her for this reason. It reminded her that while achievement matters, how that achievement is pursued matters just as much. For Izel, good leadership is grounded in values.

A Thoughtful and Intentional Learning Environment

Izel found Strathmore’s approach to learning thoughtful and intentional. Whether learning happened in person or online, the different parts of the experience worked together: the resources, systems, lecturers, supervisors and wider University community. Each part contributed to an environment that supported both academic and personal growth. She also valued the learning that happened outside formal class sessions. Some of the most memorable conversations took place in the spaces between lectures, through interactions with lecturers and fellow students.

Those conversations helped her see learning as something shared, shaped by people, relationships and the exchange of ideas.

Balancing graduate study with a full-time leadership role, family responsibilities and, for a period, serving as Class President, required discipline and commitment. For Izel, it was an enriching season of growth. What made it possible was the support around her. Her lecturers, supervisors, family and colleagues understood the journey and encouraged her along the way. Her supervisors, who were well-versed in her area of research, made the research process more manageable and meaningful. Their guidance strengthened her confidence and deepened her interest in pursuing a doctorate in education, an ambition she hopes to pursue soon. Each day reminded her that learning is rarely an individual journey. The people around us often make it possible to pursue the things that matter. “Good education expands your knowledge while great education expands your thinking,” she says. “A degree gives you a qualification. A good university gives you a community of people and ideas that continue to shape you long after you leave,” Izel says.

Izel recommends Strathmore University to anyone seeking an education that develops knowledge while also paying attention to character, values and the person they are becoming. For her, the strength of Strathmore lies in its people, its culture and its commitment to standards. She intends to carry forward the relationships, ideas and social capital she built during her time at the University. As one chapter comes to an end, another begins. But for Izel, the lessons, relationships and ways of thinking shaped at Strathmore will continue to influence how she leads, serves and contributes to education. “Strathmore University was an investment in more than a degree. It strengthened how I think, how I lead and how I see my contribution to education.”

Article written by: Barbara Omondi