Kevin Mwaura recently graduated with a 2^nd class upper, and is filled with gratitude for his time at Strathmore. This joy saw Kevin’s family gift the School of Management and Commerce (SMC) Dean, Dr. David Wang’ombe with a painting, as a token of appreciation for the support accorded throughout Kevin’s undergraduate life. Dr. Wang’ombe was instrumental in assisting Kevin to obtain a 90% Strathmore University scholarship, an advantage that allowed Kevin to pursue the course he loves in Finance.

 

Kevin was privileged to receive both the Strathmore scholarship and HELB Loan that covered the remaining 10%.

 

As he awaits a job opening in the financial sector, Kevin’s’ love for finance has seen him enroll for ACCAs back at Strathmore. Through the help of his aunt Kevin hopes to continue studying this course even after securing a job.

What is your background?

I come from Thika County, in a place known as Kiganjo. I am the first born in a family of only two children; my younger sister is in standard four.

 

I completed my highschool at Kanjuri High School in Nyeri County where I attained a mean grade of A- in my KCSE national examination.

How did you attain a Strathmore scholarship?

I heard my former schoolmates talk about EABL scholarships being offered at Strathmore University, which I did not bother to enquire further as I believed Strathmore was a university for the elite in the society. Later, my aunt attended an entrepreneurs’ conference where Dr. Wang’ombe was a guest speaker, and during his remarks he announced about available scholarships at the university. This interested my aunt who met the Dean at the end of the event and inquired further. The Dean gave my aunt his number and welcomed me to speak to him further on the available opportunities, which I did.

 

I then applied to the school and I was accepted to undertake a course in Finance.

How was the Strathmore tenure?

My journey at Strathmore was a tough one.

 

My mother was a bit skeptical about my joining Strathmore, she thought that the scholarship might be withdrawn and she would not be able to raise the fees. Eventually she rested on the matter after a lot of convincing from my aunt and me.

 

In my first year, the HELB loan had not been approved and I was also experiencing delays from the financial aid department on the scholarship, which meant that my school fees would always be delayed. I had episodes where my student ID would be confiscated hindering me from attending class and this was frustrating. At some point I thought of quitting but I learnt a lot of patience, persistence and through the help of my amazing friends I overcame this dilemma.

 

Apart from those issues, the amount of knowledge obtained at Strathmore is overwhelming and the amazing friends I made throughout the four years I believe will be my friends for life.

What drives you to want to excel?

My aspirations, my mother and my mentor drive me to excellence.

 

Being in a position that can touch the lives of other people, especially those who require my assistance to prosper their own lives is a big motivation for me to work hard. I thrive in giving back to the society. My goal is to touch the lives of as many people as I can to ensure that the less privileged also have the opportunities required to be prosperous in life. 

 

My role model and mentor, my uncle, also encourages me to believe that I can make it, just as he did. He is one of the greatest men I have been privileged to interact with. He also came from a modest background, but has tremendously excelled in business to the point where he’s an inspiration to many other people. If my uncle can get there, I can too.

What plans do you have for the next 5-10 years?

My ultimate goal is to venture into the business world and start my own business across various sectors of the market. However, everyone has to start somewhere and therefore I would want to work for a company that presents an opportunity for me to learn a lot of different things not just in my major, but in running a business generally.

 

No words or actions could fully express the gratitude I feel towards Strathmore University. It’s been such an honor being here because it was something that I never expected to happen in my life. My prayer and hope is that the institution never changes and continues touching the lives of others as they did mine.