Registrar advises students to make wise career choices

Students should choose courses that match their passion, according to Ronald Maathai, Mount Kenya University (MKU) registrar, academic administration.  “Choose a course that matches your passion,” he counsels, saying this will put their career paths on the right footing.

Dr Maathai further urges students to deliberately aim to acquire skills that can lead to them becoming job creators and not just job seekers. Why does he say so? “Job creation,” says Dr Maathai, “is the way to go. The entrepreneurial  attitude is what we are inculcating at
MKU. This benefits the graduate and the nation.”

He adds: “Whichever course you choose, focus on it with all might. Identify a role model whose achievement and character inspires you.” MKU admits both government-sponsored and self-sponsored students who choose careers from among the university’s more than 60 science and
art programmes.

Over the last three intakes (in 2016, 2017 and 2018), the university has admitted close to 7,000 government- sponsored students who are pursuing different Bachelor degree programmes. One of them, Victor Mung’oni Kusimba, 22, is living his dream at MKU, where he is studying for a
degree in dental technology.

On her part, Lynna Norah Mulama says had the government not sponsored her, she would not be at MKU or any other institution of higher learning. “My parents are poor,” she says. “They could not raise money to take me through a parallel degree programme or even a diploma course.

I probably would still be teaching at the local primary school just like I did after completing Form Four.” She adds: “I thank God for bringing me to MKU. I am delighted to be here and will work towards attaining my goal…. My parents thank God this opportunity.”

Rita Nafula Kibiti narrates a similar tale, saying lack of fees would have seen her fail to join a higher education institution after she completed her Form Four last year. Rita says she is grateful to Government for sponsoring her to MKU, where she is pursuing a degree in Economics and Finance.

Geoffrey Gitui Njoroge is another happy student at MKU because, as he says, he is pursuing his “dream career”: An undergraduate course in dental technology. “Since I was young, my passion was in the medical profession. I really appreciate the government sponsoring me with Ksh70,000 every semester. My family would not have raised this kind of money on top of the Ksh11,500 they contribute,” he says.

Edwin Oloo Odhiambo, 22, the son of a single mother, thought he was dreaming when he was admitted to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in Hospitality Management at MKU. His words: “I am thrilled to have joined MKU, and more so the fact that the government enabled us to undertake degree studies. This would not have been possible had the government not intervened. My experience in MKU so far has been great.”

Johnson Kabera says he applied for the Animal Health and Production degree course at MKU because he wants the knowledge to help him reap rewards from farming.