Name: Sarah Mbeneka Karoki
School: Naromoru Girls’ High School
Community: Mirera
My name is Sarah Mbeneka Karoki. I was born at Nanyuki General Hospital in the year 2007, amidst the 2007 war. I was born into a family of five as the firstborn child. However, over time, my family became a single-parent household, with my mother as the head.
I attended Sweetwaters Primary School, where I learned to be hardworking and courageous. This was evident in my role as the school president; I was elected among many other capable students.
I am talented in long-distance running. I discovered this talent when I realized I could run long distances with ease. I nurtured this talent by joining the school’s long-distance race team. Currently, in high school, I have joined the cross-country team and am consistently among the top runners.
After completing my KCPE in 2022, I applied for the Ol Pejeta scholarship. My potential for academic success, combined with my desire to become a responsible citizen, and my ambitious dreams, which my single mother could not afford to support, qualified me for the scholarship. Ol Pejeta and PA-MOJA generously provided me with the support I needed to pursue my dreams.
I have two potential career paths in mind: law and medicine. Starting with law, I dream of becoming the first female president of Kenya. My studies in history and CRE qualify me to pursue this path. I believe I have the potential to become a great leader, as demonstrated by my experience as school president, where I gained an understanding of some of the responsibilities and concerns of a leader.
My second potential career path is medicine. I am inspired by my role model, Ben Carson, a renowned neurosurgeon who has successfully separated conjoined twins. His story and others have motivated me to become a neurosurgeon myself. I want to leave my mark on the world and prove that anyone, regardless of their background, can achieve their goals. I understand that focusing on two careers simultaneously is challenging, but I believe that the tougher things get, the more resilient I become.
I hope to pursue my chosen careers at Kenyatta University, a renowned and top-ranking university in Kenya. My ultimate dream is to further my studies at Oxford University and acquire a Ph.D.
No one in my family or generation has ever studied abroad, but I believe I will be the first to achieve this by obtaining a Ph.D. in law and medicine from Oxford University in England. Despite the university’s historic buildings, I am confident in their ability to help me realize my dreams.
After my studies, I believe I can make a significant contribution to my country. Through law, I can help people obtain justice and become a good leader. In medicine, I can help save more lives by building hospitals in remote areas and sharing my knowledge of medicine. As a woman of integrity, strength, and hope, I believe I can succeed in life.
