Strong is being true to yourself
- By Gaye Hill
- Published
Kagure Wamunyu, ’13, knows a thing or two about going strong. As an undergraduate student, Wamunyu was both a Presidential and Zawadi Scholar. She earned a mathematics degree from Meredith and a civil engineering degree from N.C. State as part of Meredith’s dual degree engineering program. She then was awarded a full scholarship to pursue a master’s degree in city planning at the University of California, Berkeley.
Now, having completed her graduate degree, Wamunyu has returned to her home country, Kenya, where she is the operations and logistics manager for Uber in Nairobi. It’s a big job, but Wamunyu is ready for the challenge. And she credits Meredith with preparing her to succeed.
“Meredith instilled confidence in me. It showed me as a woman I am able to go forth and lead, and that whatever comes before me, I am able to do it.”
While at Meredith, she garnered numer-ous accolades, including the Sharon D. Banks Women in Transportation award, an international award that gave her the opportunity to meet the Secretary of Transportation. She also met Nobel Laureate Wangari Maathai, a fellow Kenyan and longtime idol.
Wamunyu formed deep friendships at Meredith, particularly with a group of six international students. The lasting nature of those relationships is all the more impressive given the geographic distance between them, as they live on no fewer than four continents.
“We are all over the world but we make time to see each other,” said Wamunyu.
At Meredith she also found valuable mentors who delight in her accomplishments, among them Cammey Cole Manning, professor of mathematics and Wamunyu’s faculty advisor.
“It has been a privilege to watch Kagure grow personally and professionally over the past seven years and to see her experience so many successes – from receiving scholarships and awards to being accepted to graduate school and now receiving an incredible job offer that will allow her to both use her education and return to her home country of Kenya,” said Manning.
Wamunyu observes that the Meredith community encouraged her to grow while remaining true to herself.
“My Meredith experiences made me who I am today. Being surrounded by women who are strong and passionate and who are there for you does make a difference.”
Find more strong stories like this one at meredith.edu/goingstrong. Learn more about Meredith’s dual degree engineering program at meredith.edu/engineering.
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