Message from the founder

It takes a village to raise a child. This proverb deeply resonates with me. I am a product of a strong village of people who have supported me throughout all levels of my education. Starting from my parents who had a vivid vision of dreams they wanted me to achieve. The hardworking teachers who went above and beyond to help me improve my grades. For instance, I joined Mercy Girls High School with 298/500 marks from the primary school national exams and through undying guidance from my teachers, I graduated high school with 80 points emerging as the best not only in my class but also in the whole district.

 

After high school, I was awarded the James Finlay Trust scholarship that supported me through 5 years of my undergraduate studies. During my undergrad, I followed my passion and sought to utilize all my talents. I served as a class president for my class for five years, and participated actively in the varsity sports; representing my uni in two editions of the East Africa University Games. I also sought opportunities to expand my scope through travelling and networking. In my fourth year, I was privileged to attend, together with over 450 students from around the globe, the International Student Festival in Trondheim, Norway (ISFiT) where my worldview was tremendously expanded. This first trip out of my motherland brought the realization that the world was expansive and is the reason I deeply yearned to undertake my postgraduate studies abroad. I believe travelling widely opens one’s mind and that is why I seek opportunities for our students to travel widely within and out of the country to challenge them and open their minds to a world of possibilities. I am passionate about utilizing one’s talents to the fullest and I challenge our students to do so: to balance school work/workplace activities with other activities they are passionate about. 

 

‘You cannot connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect them looking backwards. You have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future…’ are the wise words of the late visionary Steve Jobs in his 2005 Stanford University commencement address. When I was participating in leadership and extracurricular activities, I did not know that they would play a significant role in my life, including helping me win the Rhodes Scholarship. Only taken at the University of Oxford, the Rhodes Scholarship is arguably one of the most prestigious international scholarships. Through the scholarship, I joined Oxford’s Department of Engineering Science to pursue a doctorate in the area of aircraft engine cooling. The PhD journey was challenging and fulfilling and I write in detail about how I applied for the scholarship, and how I thrived through the doctorate journey in my book The PhD Journey (which you can get from Amazon by following this link https://www.amazon.com/-/dp/1636181740). After my PhD, I moved to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT for my postdoctoral research with the support of the Schmidt Science Fellowship. I am now mostly based in the US and I continue to write the story of my life.

 

When I look back, I am grateful for the village that has always stood by me. A long list of friends, teachers, mentors, and sponsors who have always believed in me and my dreams and are responsible for my success so far. This platform - Geen Foundation - is my way of paying it forward to the next generation.