After my finishing high school in 2014, I wondered what would become of me professionally after spending almost my entire life in an Orphanage. Then my best friend introduced me to Kathleen Chromicz. They had met in a conference on Global Issues Service Summit at the International School of Kenya.
He told me a bit of what they had discussed about creating a twin program to help local schools by creating mutual relationships between local school students and International school students.
Little did I know that this was a seed sowed that would bloom into big opportunities in future.
In early 2015, we started a Robotic program where Kathleen would pick up 8 students from Children’s Garden Home and School and take us to the International School of Kenya (ISK) and we would spend forty five minutes learning simple coding.
I led the group but at the same time I was a student since I was learning in the process.
I acquired very crucial and meaningful leadership skills.
With time, Kathleen availed more advanced learning opportunities like taking online courses like Google for Education. I must admit that it’s during this process and working with kids both from Children’s Garden and ISK that my love to work with students intensified. I joined Kenyatta University to take a diploma course in Education. By the time I was finishing my diploma, Kathleen started taking us through the resume writing process since we believed that we were ready and ripe to start applying for jobs and venturing into activities that would help us generate some income and become independent in life.
We would sit in her office for hours writing resumes and sending them when vacancies opened up at ISK.
My brother Oliver was lucky when he was hired for a Bus Monitor position at ISK. This was a big step as our efforts started bearing fruits and we were hopeful that my turn would come.
I got a five month internship opportunity in another International school (Rosslyn Academy) and after the internship I got a job too with ISK as a Bus Monitor.
At ISK I started getting opportunities to sub in classes filling in for Assistant Teachers who were off duty. This has been a perfect opportunity for me to up my knowledge as a teacher.
This has finally landed me in work as a Shadow Teacher at ISK under the Student Support Services.
I have finally found my true interest as teacher and this is working with students with special learning needs which I now hope I will get a chance to work with the newly formed Life Centred Education at ISK as a Teacher Assistant.
(UPDATE! Stanley has been hired as a Teacher Assistant Life Centred Education at ISK working with students with special learning needs and Oliver is a Teacher’s Assistant for the 5th grade at ISK)