Kenyan Dorcas Tuitoek is on her way to becoming one of the youngest PhD holders in Africa.
Her academic journey is marked by exceptional achievements including graduating top of her class.
Dorcas graduated from the Technical University of Kenya (TUK) in March 2022 with a first-class honor. She was also named as the Valedictorian of her graduating class, meaning that she was the best student overall.
While speaking to The Management Diary in a past interview, Dorcas admitted that although she was grateful for her achievements as she put in a lot of work, she did not expect to be named Valedictorian.
“I never wanted to a valedictorian, but I grew up wanting to be in spaces where I can speak up, read a speech or deliver a presentation and it came in that manner. I am very grateful for that,” she said.
Also Read: Ministry of Education Announces 200 Scholarships for Degree Courses: How to Apply
Scholarship and Application Process
After her graduation, Dorcas started applying for the Rhodes scholarship. Her goal, although a scary process, was to get a learning experience from the application process and pursue a master’s degree.
“Just as most people are, making a bet on a big thing is very scary and not an easy thing to do. Although I knew that I was capable of getting the Rhodes scholarship, I did not think I would get it,
“But the people around me made me believe in myself. I saw it as an opportunity to learn how to write and learn to engage better and communicate,” she explained.
However, after successfully going through the interviews, an opportunity to pursue a PhD at Oxford university in Engineering Science, presented itself and she took it.
“I decided to do the PhD because the scholarship offered the opportunity.”
While she was going through her application, she secured a position at Deloitte under the Risk Advisory team.
She said that working at Deloitte pushed her to consider working in corporate and pursuing a career on what she was already learning at the company.
Also Read: UK Govt Announces Fully Paid Scholarship for Kenyans; How to Apply
High School Education in a Kenyan Institution
Her academic excellence began well before university. Dorcas attended her high school education at the Kenya High School she sat her Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) and scored an A plain.
“I am passionate about energy, sustainability, and environmental management, and I am keen to use engineering tools as well as chemical engineering and inter-disciplinary experiences and knowledge to help address key global concerns such as climate change,
“Energy insecurity, and sustainable development, through research and knowledge sharing. Integrity, honesty and ethical work are my pillars,” she says.
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