Meet D+ KCSE Student With 5 Degrees in the US.
It is typical for society to view high academic performers as future leaders and game-changers.
Those who perform poorly on national exams are frequently written off by the system since their chances of success appear to be diminished.
However, Mwangi Mukami surprised expectations by graduating with five degrees in the United States of America despite receiving a grade of D+ on the KCSE.
Mukami, who frequently posts motivational comments on social media, noted that his peers disregarded his hopes and desires to become an attorney.
“Years ago, Kenya’s educational 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,” he stated.
Mukami was unfazed by their displeasure and set out to prove them wrong. Mwangi’s adventure began in 1984, when he was born into a family of nine, including five brothers and three sisters. In Kawangware, Nairobi, they struggled to make ends meet because they were raised by a single mother.
He was granted the opportunity to serve as the first male Children’s president of the Kenya Children’s Cabinet when he was only 17 years old.
According to his LinkedIn page, he was one of the individuals that pushed Parliament to pass the Children’s Act.
"At 17, I served as the first-male Children’s president of the Kenya Children’s Cabinet. In this role, I championed the Parliament of Kenya to enact the Children’s Act, a national law protecting children’s rights,” he stated.
Meet D+ KCSE Student With 5 Degrees in US.
Three years later, he founded the National Youth Parliament of Kenya in an effort to implement change.
This allowed young leaders to sit in the actual parliament and discuss pertinent problems.
In addition, he founded the Martin Luther King (MLK) Jr. Foundation, which sought to assist disadvantaged children and youth through a number of educational programs.
“At 24, I founded the Martin Luther King (MLK) Jr. Africa Foundation and served as its Chairman of the Board. Within five years, MLK operated in 8 cities across Africa with 14 full-time and 214 part-time employees,” he noted.
By the time he left Kenya for the United States of America in 2009, he sought to enhance his education in order to continue his advocacy goal.
Mukami owed his success to his mother, who he noted played a significant role in his career by selling groceries to raise his siblings.
“Congratulations to my mom. The degree is a reflection of her tenacity. I am grateful and honoured to have wonderful brothers and sisters who support and trust my ability to achieve,” he stated after sharing a post while graduating.
Currently, he holds five degrees from prestigious universities: a dual bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Relations from San Francisco State University, two Associate Degrees in Behavioral Science and Humanities with honours from City College of San Francisco, Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Political Science and a Master of Public Affairs (MPA) from the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California.
In a recent piece, he explained that his desire to pursue many degrees stemmed from his desire to effect societal change.
Mwangi Mukami surprised expectations by graduating with five degrees.
Through these endeavours, he has assisted a number of young people in obtaining scholarships to study overseas.
"We have utilized newspapers in education to enrich the knowledge of 300+ young scholars in Kenya and the United States, helping 98 percent of them to apply for and receive scholarships.
"We have trained 100+ young leaders (18–34) on policy analysis, messaging for impact, non-violent communication, and leading teams. 65 percent of them receiving promotions within one year of leaving our program,” reads part of his Linkedin profile.
Meet D+ KCSE Student With 5 Degrees in the US.