Joyce Katana: From a small town in the sunny city of Mombasa County to the halls of Kenyon College in Ohio
Children are born with varying levels of talent and intelligence, but possessing natural, smart skills is no guarantee of success. It takes more than that: It takes work on the part of parents and teachers to cultivate these qualities, to instill in children the drive and character necessary to translate their natural gifts into extraordinary results. Precisely, education is the soul of a society as it passes from one generation to another. When children are well equipped their success is highly guaranteed.
Joyce attended Bridge Owino Ouru in Mombasa County. According to her, her learning experience at Bridge was the best compared to her previous schools. In Bridge academy, they used advanced technology that not only displayed lessons but also recorded the attendance and assessment scores to track lesson pacing and pupil comprehension.
Bridge teachers also understood that every child had unique abilities and it was their responsibility to discover them and bring out the best in every child. Joyce says that the teachers were so committed to teaching and helping them out through challenging topics by giving them similar tasks to track their progress and also their understanding of those topics.
Teachers at Bridge encouraged us to ask questions, especially where we did not understand. Like in Maths the teacher helped me solve problems by giving me similar exercises to ensure that I had understood. Says Joyce.
She adds that she noted an improvement in her overall performance a few months after learning at Bridge.
When I joined upper primary in Bridge my performance tremendously improved. My teachers always encouraged me to be myself, to believe in myself, and to always do my best. She says.
It’s the possibility of a dream come true that makes life interesting and gives one the strength and the motivation to continue pursuing their dreams. Joyce Did her KCPE and soon after she got a scholarship to study at Avenues the world school in New York.
I had only heard of New York City in movies, magazines, and newspapers. I was really shocked at how many people were there, they were the most amount of people I had seen in my whole life! Remarks Joyce
For her, this was a dream come true. One she had always prayed for and worked really hard to achieve, she simply wanted to study abroad. Her biggest challenge at Avenues was making friends, but thanks to the Bridge learning system she had undergone she was able to maneuver around.
Bridge Kenya encourages pupils to be involved in the classroom which was really helpful at the Avenues World School where you’re expected to participate in class. Says, Joyce.
The beautiful thing about learning is that nobody can ever take that from you, since learning is an endless affair that allows us to make sense of the world around us, the world inside of us, and the world we fit in.
Joyce is at the start of her University journey at Kenyon College, Ohio after successfully completing her high school education. This makes her really excited since it’s the beginning of a different chapter in her life, one that will give her exposure to new ideas and concepts.
I am right at the start of my university journey here in the United States, Kenyon College in Ohio, and I’m really looking forward to it because I can’t wait to achieve all the dreams I have ever had. My advice to other students would be to wake up every single day with a goal because dreams without goals are nothing. Reach your goals and they will help you reach your dream. She remarks
Education is the most powerful aspect of life, a foundation of progress and growth in a child. It’s important to invest in knowledge as it pays the best interest of breaking the cycle of poverty. Looking back, Joyce’s story is a clear indication of the importance of providing quality education to children and the power of a strong primary education.
