Former Group Editorial Consultant at Royal Media Services Peter Opondo has opened up about initial academic struggles before finding career breakthrough.
In a post on LinkedIn, Peter Opondo, a communications consultant recounted how he struggled to score good grades while pursuing his undergraduate degree in Mathematics and Economics.
Opondo explained that he joined Moi University (Maseno Campus) to pursue a Bachelor of Education (French) degree.
However, out of his self-belief and thirst for a bigger challenge, he decided to shift the course and pursue a degree in Mathematics and Economics.
His imagination, he says, was that the degree with such a combination would help him transition into his dream career of accountancy.
His experience of the course was, however, not a pleasant one. Opondo explains how he was greeted with units including Linear Algebra, Vector Analysis, Calculus and Probability which to him were a hard nut to crack.
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“In 1st year I found courses like Linear Algebra 1 & 2, Vector Analysis, Calculus 1 & 2, Probability & Statistics,” narrated Peter Opondo.
“The best grade I got among these was a B. The rest I was Ceeing and Defending,” he humorously adds.
Peter Opondo Harrowing Experience
He went on to explain the frustrations born out of his not so good performance in class to an extent where he contemplated trying local brew.
The fact that his peers excelled in the same units and scored better grades at ease, he notes, made his frustrations worse.
“The most depressing thing was that some chaps around me were gliding along like they were on skates on an ice mark,” he recounts.
“In fact, there was this dark, tall, lean guy from Teso by the name Joel Okomoli. Ninja used to effortlessly score As.”
Somehow, Opondo managed to graduate in 1999 and entered the job market. Fortunately for him, he narrates, the then Minister for Finance froze recruitment of teachers which could have seen him join the teaching fraternity.
Years later, he found himself in the journalism field where he has since worked for various media companies in different capacities.
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In addition, Peter Opondo earned a master’s in business administration from Strathmore University and is considering getting a PhD.
He has held senior positions in major media companies including his position as Editor in Chief at Media Max, Editor, Strategy and Content at the Standard Media Group and Group Editorial Consultant at RMS before venturing into freelance Consultancy in Communications and Strategy.
Moral of the Story
The moral in his experience, he says, is resilience despite the initial setbacks and challenges faced in life.
He says that his lack of self-awareness and clear direction in his early 20s did not prevent him from bouncing back and following the right track.
“Don’t let your past (grades) define your destiny,” he states.
“At 20, I did not really know who I was. And I didn’t get to know until much later. So be Kind to yourself, and don’t worry if you are like me many years ago…just keep looking for what makes your juices flow.”
