- The event aimed to expose the Form Three class to the career fields at the university level and set them on a pathway to achieving them.
- As much as the students could want to pursue careers that guarantee good pay, identifying their passion is crucial.
- As learners grow in age, physique, and academics, it’s good to mentor them to grow professionally because they are the professionals of tomorrow.
When you are determined, you avoid distractions. Do not be distracted by what your parents own; choose to always work for your own future
Dr. Stellah Omari.
In imparting skills of the 21st century to students, mentorship is essential to give the learners a pragmatic sense and help them grasp diverse life lessons from a practical approach.
On June 11, 2023, Dr. Rose Otieno, Academic Chairperson in the Parents Association at Sironga High School, led a career mentorship event at the institution.
The event aimed to expose the Form Three class to the career fields at the university level and set them on a pathway to achieving them.
The class has over 800 students distributed in 13 streams.
The guest speaker was Dr. Stellah Omari, CoD Business Administration in the School of Business and Economics, Kisii University.
Some parents of the Form 3 Class and several students from Kisii University accompanied her to also enlighten the young scholars.
Daisy Shaviya and Elijah Muriithi, students at the School of Health Sciences, and Matilda Nzioki, School of Arts and Social Sciences (SASS) Department of Psychology, teamed up with Dr. Otieno to mentor these young minds.
Growing into careers
Dr. Omari, who has been in the professional field for the past 26 years, started by encouraging the students to seek career and professional growth all along, for that is the law of life.
As learners grow in age, physique, and academics, it’s good to mentor them to grow professionally because they are the professionals of tomorrow.
She insisted that the students should not sit on their average minds but work smart to build excellent minds to land them into the good career fields they desire.
“At one time, we are young, then we grow and eventually become old. Just like career paths, at one point, you are students and you have a chance to build our careers so that as you grow academically, at the end of the academic bridge you transit to a good career,” Dr. Omari advised.
Ms. Shaviya encouraged the students to continually expand their scope of career choices.
“You should expand your thinking, the traditional courses, (law, engineering and medicine) do not sell as they used to, and so it’s important you understand that there are other fields that are equally rewarding,” Ms. Shaviya advised.
Dr. Otieno also guided the learners on the importance of being psychologically prepared for success to succeed, reminding them that success starts in the mind.
Career pillars
Dr. Omari stated that as the students continue to grow into their aspired careers, it is good for them to focus on the below aspects.
Determination: She urged the students to be continuously determined and self-dependent to succeed.
“When you are determined, you avoid distractions. It’s you and the world; avoid depending on your parents or relatives to plan your success in terms of careers. Do not be distracted by what your parents own; choose to always work for your own future,” Dr. Omari explained.
Consistency is another aspect that she focused on for students to adopt. She told the students to always build on the achievements they make.
She told them that consistency will push them forward.
Collaboration: “If you want to go quick, go alone, but if you want to go far, go with people,” Dr. Omari said.
When people work together as a group, they succeed easily because they learn from and mentor one another.
She urged the girls to be one another’s pillar and help one another in subjects they need help with.
Character: This aspect can not be ignored if you are to have a successful career instead of having a series of jobs due to bad character.
“Papers will take you places, but character will stick you there. We are committed as teachers to make sure that, as the learners are building their careers, they are also growing in terms of character.
Good character brings good professionalism,” Harun Gwantai, Deputy Principal Academics, commented about character in an interview.
As much as the students could want to pursue careers that guarantee good pay, Dr. Omari insists that they identify their passion.
When students figure out their passion, it motivates them even further to work towards landing there.
She also encouraged them to be more versatile and creative so as to be more equipped and well-prepared for contemporary career issues.
Students to students
Muriithi, a nursing student at Kisii University, encouraged the students to aim higher and always work smart to ensure that they have the pulling power to choose good careers in the field of medicine.
“Always aim to have the highest possible grades in every subject. This will give you good cluster points and place you in good positions of landing scholarships from within the country and abroad,” Mr. Muriithi advised.
On why they should consider pursuing nursing as a career, he reminded them that the healthcare system modalities are changing and that human life sustainability depends on it.
Nurses are part of that big plan to promote health and prevent diseases.
Ms. Shaviya assured the students that it is possible to join the medical school.
They just have to strategize their studies well and commit to being the best because the medical field requires top students.
It offers an array of opportunities, both locally and globally.
“Counselling psychology trains people to help clients dealing with mental issues such as anxiety, grief, depression, mood disorders and personality disorders.
Psychologists enable people to maintain good mental health as it’s crucial in our daily well-being,” Ms. Nzioki advised.
She also encouraged them to build their self-worth and character.
“Chance and opportunity come to all but favor those who are ready,” Ms. Nzioki urged.
Mother to child
Dr. Otieno, who was representing the parents, said she is keen to see every student landing good careers and that she remains committed to helping the young ladies achieve their career and life goals.
“As a parent, there is always joy to see your kids making it through to good careers. Determination and hard work remain key to this. Always chase your dreams with determination,” Dr. Otieno advised.
Dr. Omari added that the students should always be open-minded and accommodative to have a pool to choose from in terms of careers.
She reminded the students that they are in a national school because they were the best and still are, hence should also produce the best results.
Dorcas Mong’are, HoD Careers, is keen to see every student from the school happy in the career they end up in. She champions hard work as the gate to success.
From the students
Yvonne Musimbi, a Form 3 student, admitted that this career talk motivated her to even work harder to be at the top in chasing her dream career.
“I am happy I have learned a lot from the event. I remain committed to work toward achieving my dream career, a medical doctor,” Mary Wambui, a form 3 student.
The students were happy to engage with the career experts and also with the young professionals and learn from them and know areas to work on.
To career aspirants
“To have a good career you have to be determined, consistent, good character and embrace teamwork,” Dr. Omari.
Dr. Otieno wished the students well and assured them of the parents’ continued support.
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“As form 3 parents, we remain entirely supportive to you and hope that you continue showing up in excellence, even as you work towards landing your dream careers,” she urged them.
