Meet Village Genius Who Overcame Challenges To Study At Harvard After Excelling In Exams At School

• Edwin Magema graduated from Harvard with a degree in pure mathematics, a feat that initially seemed impossible
• This is because he came from a village school in West Pokot school that had not seen a student admitted to a university in over two decades
• Magema knew he was headed for greater things when he scored an A in KCSE and received six scholarships to study abroad

At the border of West Pokot and Turkana lies Weiwei Secondary School, an all-boys institution facing challenges familiar to many remote Kenyan schools.

With no access to water and only seven teachers, the school had not seen a student admitted to a university in over two decades.

How Magema beat the odds

However, against all odds, one youngster from the school defied expectations and soared to academic heights.

Read also

Ga Mantse talks about life as a KNUST student and a Fellow, teases Commonwealth Hall in video

Edwin Wekesa Magema, a staunch Seventh-day Adventist, shared a grass-to-grace video on TikTok about his achievements.

He credits his success to the discipline his faith instilled in him but disclosed that it was not easy.

"I had to create a boundary, like say no to mock exams on Saturday despite the principal asking so. On Sundays, I was the only one not going to church," he told TUKO.co.ke.

Which university did Magema join?

His academic prowess was evident when he scored an A in KCSE, becoming the top student in Rift Valley and ranking sixth countrywide.

Magema's achievements did not end there.

He was enrolled in the Equity Bank internship program and went on to receive six full scholarships, including offers from prestigious institutions like Yale and Harvard.

Read also

Man jailed thrice in the past becomes youngest judge in US state

Opting for Harvard, he flew to Boston and embarked on a rigorous academic journey, studying Math, Physics, Statistics, Biochemistry, and Advanced Writing.

What did Magema graduate with?

Despite the challenges and demands of his studies, Magema thrived at Harvard, attributing his success to the ample resources available for learning.

His academic excellence was recognized when he won a $10,000 (KSh 1.3 million) summer tech grant for scoring an A in an Engineering class.

It was a feat that also afforded him the opportunity to travel the world and broaden his horizons.

Graduating with a degree in pure mathematics, Magema returned to Kenya and began his career as a consultant in international development.

Magema's current job

However, he soon resigned to become the managing director of a fintech company, a position that allowed him to further impact his community and beyond.

He also left the fintech after a while and spent his free time authoring a book on how to navigate the path to Harvard.

Read also

Kofi Gabs shows plush 5 bedroom mansion he built before leaving for Holland

Recently, he and a friend founded Univus, a social media platform to connect individuals with similar educational backgrounds and interests.

He believes that his story offers hope for students facing similar challenges, showing that with hard work and perseverance, anything is possible.

Man overcomes self-doubt to get Ivy League School degree

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that a young man named Dxnnystone finally graduated from Columbia University after refusing to give in to his feelings of self-doubt.

He took to his socials to post stunning graduation pictures and share his story about how he overcame the waves of uncertainty.

Source: TUKO.co.ke