A December Day

As the rains come down in a torrent, dozens of anxious and eager scholarship applicants wait in the ACCES corridor for their much-anticipated interview- their moment of truth. Silence stills the air all around them, and they fumble their papers, clasp their hands tightly together, and adjust their well-used ties and fix their hair. For most, this opportunity holds the key for their education- for many, it presents an opportunity for a future and a new life.

With every request for an applicant to enter the office for their interview, a handful of wide-eyed students turn to me with anticipation and excitement. For a brief instance, they all hover over their seats and hope to be called-in. But most return to their still and silent bearings when they find it is not they who have been summoned.

The faces and expressions of most applicants reveal the nervousness and suspense that this experience invites. In fact, for many students, eye contact and a clear, resounding voice remain elusive forms of communication. This moment in their life is simply too important, and the consequence of this opportunity invokes great timidity in many of the youthful applicants.

With every story of past struggles, current needs, and future hopes comes a parallel between the ACCES graduates of yesteryear and the future graduates of coming days.

Recently, I have had the pleasure of engaging many ACCES graduates in a discussion of their lives and their successes. And I say with truth and sincerity that every single graduate I have met has welcomed me and thanked me profusely for the opportunity bestowed upon them. Yet, it wasn’t until I met the new applicants that I could truly witness the growth in character and spirit that has enabled so many graduates to grasp their potential. Their poise and openness serves as a validation of ACCES’ determination and ideal.

And so, just as the latest group of scholarship applicants waited with eager anticipation for their opportunity, I too now wait with eager anticipation for the day when I can see their transformation. I anxiously wait for the day that they will exemplify the same gratitude, equanimity and conviction of our current graduates.

Thankfully, with the potential of these students guided by the reaches of education, I rest calmly and trust that the cycle of growth and improvement will stretch beyond individuals, and work towards the empowerment of the entire Kenyan society.