Akilimali Arsène recently made news among students when he sought Vice Presidency position for the Strathmore University Student Council.

The native of Bukavu, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, is a second year student at Strathmore University pursuing a Bachelor of Commerce.

Akilimali’s first appearance presents an ideal leader, who is a bold straight talker, who does not shy away from speaking his mind. His story mirrors the story of several other Congolese students who have joined Strathmore because of its excellent academic standards in Africa.

Akilimali joined Strathmore after finishing his high school studies at Le Collège Alfagiri, in Bukavu. His journey into Strathmore was not challenging, because of the university’s multicultural diversity. Similarity between Kenyan and Congolese cultures also made it easy for him to blend in.

So far Akilimali’s experience at the University has been fantastic. He has had the opportunity to rub shoulders with high profile guests, such as former United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, who was invited to speak at an event at Strathmore.

Through such talks, students’ perspectives are broadened allowing them to obtain exposure to the real world of employment. This is the case with Akilimali who, through such talks, has developed a passion for marketing on realizing where his strength lie.

Besides exposure, Strathmore also gives students an opportunity to learn at least one foreign language of their choice. Akilimali chose German, increasing the number of international languages he can speak to four.

Going forward, Akilimali desires to join a multinational consultancy firm like Mckinsey, before pursuing his PhD and eventually joining academia. His long-term goal is to start a world-class university in his home country.