By Tom Bode, WSI President
What were you like when you finished high school? Did you feel relief, gratitude, or dread? WSI student Japheth completed high school this month, and reflects on his personal growth and hopes for the future in a recent letter to WSI.
Japheth is an outstanding student despite a tough start in life. He tragically lost both of his parents at a young age and was brought up by community members. In high school, he served as school president, among other student leadership positions, and his high grades placed him at the very top of his class. This letter also shows him to be thoughtful, appreciative, and mature with an intense focus on reaching his goals in life.
WSI paid for Japheth's four years of high school. We are pleased to have enabled Japheth to complete his high school education and we wish him the best on his end of year exams. We are hoping for him to score high enough to achieve his dream of attending university, and if he does, WSI will be glad to support him in that journey.
First, meet Japheth in this short clip from November 2022.
Then, read his recent letter below:
24th October 2023 RE: Appreciation for High School Scholarship 2020-2023 Dear World Scholarship Initiative, My name is Japheth Wambua Timothy, a young talented man schooling in Rongai Agricultural and Technical High School in Nakuru County, Kenya. Warm greetings to you. I hope you are all doing good. Thank the Almighty God for his gracious mending love for us. The year 2020, this was the year that I started a journey, a journey which was filled with lots of vision. As I joined high school I could not believe that one day I will finish successfully. The World Scholarship Initiative came at the right time. You made this journey to be a joyful journey, a journey without fears, because each day I knew there are people behind my back. Joining high school is always a dream for primary school pupils here in Kenya. This is because these are the formation years, where the next level of life is decided. It is very unfortunate that many primary school leavers are unable to join high school due to inadequate funds to support their education. For other government sponsored students, many lack their basic needs and end up dropping school. The World Scholarship has come up in supporting us to achieve our dream. You have truly played a part in our book of life. The story is becoming a reality, a reality is written down, the character forms this story. The World Scholarship Initiative as being one of the main characters in fulfilling this book of life. As I finish high school in a month to come, 24th November 2023, where I will be finishing my last K.C.S.E. exam. I can recall what I have learned in this period. Though there were challenges here and there, these are the challenges that have transformed me to the person I am today. I have served as class representative, school deputy president, and school president since I joined. This position has prepared me to be not only a gentleman but a future leader. God has been gracious in this journey. He has moulded and transformed me over the years. Today, as I prepare to finish this level and join the next level, I put a smile in my face knowing that God got my back. I hope that you are going to support me in the next level, this is University, to accomplish the journey. I wish you a lovely, blessed Christmas and a prosperous new year. Yours in Christ, Japheth
