“I like the fact that when people find out that I attend Penn State, they expect more from me.”
Hometown: Nairobi, Kenya. My parents are both retired police officers and live in Kenya with my two sisters and my three nephews.
Major: Human Development and Family Studies with a minor in Civic and Community Engagement. HDFS gives me the opportunity to learn how to help people lead healthy and happy lives and shape their own destinies.
How I Ended Up At Penn State: I received a visa that allowed me the opportunity to live, work, and go to school in America. I wanted to go to a school where I would receive a personalized education and wouldn’t be just a number, so I chose Penn State Brandywine. It’s a small campus with a big name, and it’s been a perfect fit for me.
Favorite Professor: Dr. Laura Guertin (a.k.a. “Dr. G”), Associate Professor of Earth & Mineral Sciences at Penn State Brandywine
Favorite Thing to Do On Campus: Chill out at the Lions Pit listening to comedy shows or live entertainment.
Scholarship Experience: Before I received the Jane E. Cooper Scholarship, I worked eighty hours a week. Now I have been able to cut my work hours down to forty per week, and it shows in my grades. It has made all the difference in my life and given me one more reason to stay the course. I think scholarships are important because they relieve stress and encourage students to work hard. They give students like me access to a top-of-the-line education and a chance to shine.
Career Ambitions: I plan to pursue a dual master’s degree in business and public policy or social work and use my education to empower others, especially women. I just submitted my American citizenship application, and I’m very excited about becoming a Kenyan American woman!
Philanthropic Aspirations: One of my dreams is to start a community center where families in transition—those coping with divorce, death, immigration, illness, etc.—would be able to receive the support they need. My own family went through a difficult transition, so I understand the importance of this project. I would also like to start The Simba Scholarship Fund to help women from non-traditional backgrounds attend school and open a Penn State alumni office in Kenya.
Why I Believe Giving Back is Important: I am the first one in my extended family to graduate from college. Hard work, persistence, and never giving up is what has propelled me to achieve, but it’s really the kindness of other people that has brought me this far. Now I feel indebted to Penn State and my community and would like to give other people a chance at making it.
