Kenyan Student Gladys Chepkirui Earns Special Recognition in the UK

A Kenyan student, Gladys Chepkirui Ngetich was rejected by several schools in Kenya but has earned herself a name in the United Kingdom.

Chepkirui scored 298 marks in her KCPE exams at Lelaibei Primary, a remote school in Olenguruone, Nakuru County. “Our classrooms had earthen floors. Most did not have window panes,” she says.

She was rejected by several secondary schools before finally being admitted at Mercy Girls'. “Luckily, I joined Mercy Girls’ Secondary School in Kericho,” she adds.

At Mercy Girls', Gladys produced top performances, eventually emerging the top student in KCSE exams in Kipkelion district in 2008. She was admitted to Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) to study Bachelor's in mechanical engineering.

She was given the Babaroa Excellence Award after graduating top in her class in 2013. She continued to perform well and in 2015, she secured a Rhodes Trust scholarship for her PhD in aerospace engineering at the prestigious Oxford University in the UK.

The 27-year-old has been named in the list of the top 10 rising stars in the United Kingdom for her academic performance and leadership skills.

In 2016, Chepkirui was awarded the Tanenbaum Fellowship, a competitive fellowship given annually to Rhodes scholars for a program in Israel. She was also named this year's Skoll World Forum Fellow and recently received a patent in collaboration with the Rolls Royce PLC. 

Her research work has been published by top media outlets in the UK including British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Science, the Oxford Science Blog and Medium.

Early this year, the young scholar was awarded the ASME IGTI Young Engineer Turbo Expo Participation Award. Recipients of this award are given an opportunity to present a paper they have authored at the annual American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) conference.

Outside her research, the Kenyan lady tutors engineering undergraduate students at Oriel College. She has also been shortlisted for the McKinsey & Company Next Generation of Women Leaders Award.

She is one of the founders of the ILUU Organisation, an NGO headquartered in Nairobi and whose main work is to inspire young girls.

“I want young girls to know that there is no limit to your potential. I scored dismally, was rejected by some schools, became a laughing stock in school for my deep Kalenjin accent, but I still became the top even in the languages I had failed in. This tells you that one you believe in yourself, nothing can stop you,” the 27 year old says.

The Oxford University profiled her; “She is on the path to becoming a leading pioneer in Aerospace Engineering.

"She has shattered the stereotypes forced upon her and is now an accomplished STEM ambassador seeking to inspire the next generation of female engineers."