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Kenyan Man Who Scored D+ in KCSE Attains Fifth Degree in the US
A Kenyan man has shared his inspirational story of how he went on to achieve academic success in the US despite being written off by the Kenyan education system.
Having scored D+ in his Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination, Mwangi Mukami had no chance of joining the college in Kenya as the grade was way below the minimum requirement. His dream of attaining a college or university education was thwarted until he got a chance to move to the US.
Upon landing in the US, Mwangi wasted no time and he immediately went back to school to fulfill his education dream. Now aged 36, he recently graduated with his fifth degree.
He wrote: “I have just received my graduate diploma from UC Berkeley. 20+ years ago, Kenya’s education system wrote me off as a failure because I had a D+.”
“I remember vividly saying to my peers that I wanted to be a policymaker or an attorney. Their response was a burst of collective laughter and sneer. But here I am—five degrees at 36. I hope God grants me a long life, success, and wealth to open doors of opportunities for more D+ students.”
“For the misfits, the rejected, and the oppressed. Congratulations to my mom. The degree is a reflection of her tenacity. I am grateful and honored to have wonderful brothers and sisters who support and trust my ability to achieve: Elizabeth Mwariri Keyym Peters, Lissa Irvenne Kayte Khulgal Jeph Collins.
“I couldn’t have done it without the encouragement of Kay Ventura, Carol McCrary, and Betty Mc Crary Alarms, And I can’t forget Elizabeth Woods for the many nights she drove to take me to school.
“Jim Foti for the countless recommendation letters Joe Beasley for an initial grant to attend a community college. I am because of all these people and I couldn’t be so grateful and honored to have them in my life. For Nick, the next step is a JD.”