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  • Major BSW, Social Work
  • Work history Case Manager and Director at She Has A Name House

What do you do on a day-to-day basis?

Anyone who has ever been to Africa will understand there is a saying, “This is Africa.” My interpretation of this would be that you never really know what you’re going to get that day. You may have plans to begin a counseling session at 10:00, which actually won’t even start until 11:30. You just have to go with the flow of things. With that being said, the bulk of my day consists of mentoring the girls through academics, spirituality development and basic life skills such as developing healthy relationships, obtaining high self-esteem and various other topics depending on their needs. My job description varies from being a house mother, to counselor, to tutor, to mentor, to friend. I do this by organizing multiple volunteer opportunities for us, teaching bible studies and having both group and one-on-one sessions with each of the girls.
Playing basketball at CMU prepared me in the sense that even in a third world country, the aspect of hard work is always affiliated with success. The social work program at CMU also equipped me with some of the best professors that truly prepared me for the organizational, counseling and case management skills needed for this job.

What was your transition like from being a student to your current career position?

As a college student we tend to be in our own world. We go to class, hang out with friends, go to work, do homework, maybe hit the gym and then do it all over again the next day. Working over here in Kenya you never know what you’re going to get that day. The idea of having a set routine that revolves around you and your success isn’t the number one thing in your life. It is a lot less self-focused and a lot more focused on success of others.

What do you think set you apart from the other applicants for your current position?

Something that set me apart was that I wasn’t looking to get paid lots of money. I think college students often want to jump into working right after they graduate so they can make some decent money and stop being a “typical broke college student.” That wasn’t the case for me, I’m ok with being broke. I consider the experience, stories and great relationships I’ve made to be equivalent to a paycheck.

What advice would you give to incoming college students?

Never underestimate the opportunities college can bring you in life. Not only am I proud of the degree I earned, but I am also so blessed to have the experiences and opportunities to have met some of the greatest people I will ever meet in my life. There will never be anything like your time spent in college, so go for it!

 Published 3/7/2018

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