From School Dropout to PhD Holder: Laikipia University Graduate Shares Inspiring Story

Pamela Mukami Gitu, a 35-year-old educator from Thika, Kiambu County, has become one of Kenya’s youngest PhD holders after earning her doctorate in Applied Linguistics from Laikipia University, despite not being an A student during her early education.

Mukami, a tutor at Murang’a Teachers Training College specializing in the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), shared her inspiring journey, revealing she once dropped out of primary school due to excessive corporal punishment. However, she returned to complete her education, scoring a C+ in secondary school—her best result at the time.

“I wasn’t an A student, but with hard work and resilience, I’ve achieved this milestone,” she said, crediting her father as her greatest inspiration for pushing her to excel despite her academic struggles.

Mukami began her tertiary education at Kaimosi Teacher’s Training College in 2007, earning a teaching certificate in 2009. She then pursued a Bachelor’s degree at Laikipia University in 2013, followed by a Master’s degree, which she completed in 2016. After taking a brief break to focus on motherhood, she resumed her studies and earned her PhD.

Her story of perseverance and determination has inspired many, proving that with resilience, even the most challenging obstacles can be overcome.

READ ALSO: Man Narrates How he Got his Degree After Dropping Out of School

SOURCES: ALLSCHOOL, TUKO