I could say I am a born leader. From when I was small, I used to be involved in leadership. I am 22 years of age and the Sports Executive Representative for Strathmore Student Council.

Vanessa Lubira Nziani, is passionate about basketball, leadership and IT. Despite the many hats she wears, she is set to graduate with a 2^nd class upper in June, an achievement she believes, stemmed from hardwork and proper planning. She wishes to work as a Database Administrator, managing how data is stored and how it is retrieved when need be.

I studied computer skills in highschool which I found to be interesting. I did not want to study IT though, I was thinking more towards tourism. However, my dad thought I should enroll in a course that is digital or headed in that direction, due to the direction the world is taking. I undertook a Bachelor of Business Information Technology (BBIT)

Aside from studying IT, Vanessa enjoys a game of basketball. Her height could possibly be the best reason to join a basketball team, she is 6’3 tall, and the captain for Strathmore Basketball girls’ team – Blaze. In her 2^nd year of university, Vanessa joined the basketball team where she was appointed as a vice-captain of team two (team two play the division one league). After a year in the team, Vanessa joined team one (who play in the premier league). It is while in this team that she become Captain, and also embraced joining the student council to represent the sports teams.

Joining the student council is not an easy process, as she came to find out. Interested candidates are expected to have already been attaining good grades – above 60% average; the candidates should have a record of good conduct in the university; and their faculty manager or course administrators are expected to give recommendations of the candidates, before their election process begin.

I joined student council last year. I am a leader for a year, I should be handing over the button in August of this year, or earlier depending on whether I get a job sooner. The experience has been life changing. My mind is more open, I learnt how to serve those under me and how to lead. The hardest bit of this journey was advising students to work hard in their respective teams, to enable them request and hopefully get what they need for their teams. Students sometimes do not understand that money is controlled, it is not readily available; to explain the fact that this money is not available can be hard.

Vanessa comes from a sports family; her mother played netball while the father played cricket in highschool. Her brothers currently play basketball and football. Although it made sense for her to join basketball, Vanessa enjoyed swimming for her sport while in highschool. She only joined a basketball team after the school’s coach approached her, requesting her to try basketball. She did, learnt the basics and eventually came to enjoy the game. She now plays power forward or centre for her team.

Borrowing from her mother’s background, where she sacrificed to educate her siblings, Vanessa learnt to work hard for what she wanted, focusing on her abilities and strength from God. She learnt to be humble, appreciating the fact that life will not give her a second chance and therefore she would need to cease all opportunities that come her way.

Vanessa advises her peers to put God first in order to succeed in their education and other extracurricular activities. She urged them to be humble, to appreciate all opportunities and networks brought their way, and to follow a strict timetable to balance studies with all activities.

On matters sports teams, Vanessa is happy with majority of the teams who have shown great improvement this year.

Most teams are trying hard. The ladies handball team won the super cup championship, they will be travelling to Morocco in November to represent Kenya. In the recent KUSA championships, the basketball ladies team, the handball team and the volleyball men’s team were first. The volleyball ladies team were third, and the hockey ladies team were 2^nd. These were such great achievements. From these great performances all sports team got some money to get new pair of shoes.

When she is not reading, managing her office or playing basketball, Vanessa enjoys part-time modelling, writing and travelling. She also enjoys networking whenever opportunities present themselves.

 

Congratulations to Vanessa on her great success.