Blog Posts - Education and Social Empowerment Program

GIVING BACK on kokwa island

3/3/2016

The EaSEP Class of 2015 recently visited Kokwa Island in Lake Baringo to work with a local NGO, the Network for Ecofarming in Africa, Kenya. The 10 students, who had been instructed in field research techniques by EaSEP, fanned out around the island to conduct community needs assessments, speaking with a wide range of island residents.Their findings will help NECOFA calibrate its programs and partnerships with the county government.

The EaSEP scholars also spent two days mentoring island primary and high school students. The trip was a collaboration between EaSEP students (led by Theo Korir) and NECOFA, designed to give the students a chance to use their leadership and research skills and share their passion for education.

THE MANY FACES OF LEARNING

11/17/2015

The finish line is in sight for EaSEP's Class of '15. SAT and TOEFL exams behind them, Early Decision applications completed, Regular Decision applications in the works, just in case.

This class learned to learn in many settings. Inside and outside. Reading on the porch, reading in the classroom, reading on the grass, reading in the van. Reading books, magazines, study guides, online articles, poetry, essays, classic literature and just for fun.

They learned from brave women starting life anew following fistula surgery. Two of them learned about the surgery itself by observing for eight hours at the Gynocare Fistula Center. They learned about education by mentoring children at the George Mutai School.

They listened to TED talks and followed up with spirited discussions. They met with college admission officers. They wrote poetry and watched the sun set in a blaze of glory each night. They produced Midsummer Night's Dream and Hamlet.

They took SAT practice exams. Lots of them. They learned how to do field research. They polished their interview skills.

They played hard and studied harder.

kenya's Best

6/19/2015

David Chege Gitau

He’s almost perfect. And that makes him Kenya’s best.

EaSEP has just learned that its David Chege Gitau turned in the best SAT score by a Kenyan student in the past five years, scoring 2390 of 2400 points on the test last October. David also aced four SAT Subject Tests (800 of 800 points on each): Math Levels I and 2, Biology and Physics.

David, who was not among Kenya’s top 100 students on the 2013 KCSE national high school leaving exam, nor the top student in his high school, credits Indian schoolgirl Shreya Vardhan as his "motivation to strive for the highest scores,” adding that he hopes to “pay it forward” and inspire other Kenyan students to aim for the top.

He’s already doing quite a lot in that department, having taught Math and Physics as a volunteer in a struggling Kiambu County high school, 50 hours a week for seven months. And he has just finished preparing low-income Nakuru-area students for the SAT through an Education USA initiative.

The graduate of Mang’u High School will attend Princeton as an early-decision admit, majoring in engineering. He hopes to improve the infrastructure and economy in Kenya through civil and environmental engineering.

David will be a guest tutor for EaSEP’s Class of 2015 in Nandi Hills prior to leaving for Princeton’s summer Freshman Scholars Institute. The FSI is designed for admitted students "who have demonstrated exceptional dedication to scholarly inquiry, leadership, and service," according to the University.

EaSEP thanks Yoko Kono, Assistant Director of International Market Analytics for College Board, for researching David’s SAT status.

in transition

5/12/2015

Gideon Cheruiyot.

EaSEP’s Class of 2014 has raised the bar for the Class of 2015, to be selected early in June. The current students hit a class average of 2000 (of 2400) points on the SAT, led by David Chege’s hard-to-match 2390.

All the students are busy applying for I-20 visas and making travel arrangements for the US.

The program will be sending students to Tufts, Duke, MIT, Amherst and Columbia for the first time and four students have been awarded special scholarships recognizing their leadership:

Shadrack Lilan, Penn World Scholar
Elsie Odero, Duke MasterCard Foundation Scholar
Gideon Cheruiyot, Columbia Kluge Scholar
Joyline Chepkorir, Michigan State MasterCard Foundation Scholar
David Chege Gitau, Princeton
Vivian Kiniga, Cornell
Vincent Bett, Tufts
Getrude Wangare, Amherst
Christabel Sitienei, MIT
Dalton Leshan Thuku, Brown

In recent months the 2014 EaSEP students have been heavily involved with tutoring students in their home areas, improving their computer skills, and helping identify potential candidates for 2015.

applications open for class of 2015

3/21/2015

Are you a high-achieving, motivated Kenyan student who wants to be part of positive change in your country?

EaSEP will select 10 such students for its expenses-paid, four-month residential program in Nandi Hills, aimed at preparing promising students to apply for full-need scholarships at some of the best universities in North America. The program's goal is to provide a global education for Kenya's future leaders.

EaSEP is currently accepting applications for its Class of 2015. Students must have completed the KCSE in 2014 and earned at least an 82, have demonstrated leadership and have roots in western Kenya.

EaSEP's area of jurisdiction includes the following counties: Baringo, Nakuru, Nandi, Elgeyo Marakwet, Trans Nzoia, Uasin Gishu, Kericho and Bomet. Students should either be from this area or have attended high school there, and have financial need.

The application has additional details. Questions? Contact easepkenya@gmail.com. Applications are due May 8.

Kids, Community & computers

3/8/2015

A van load of EaSEP students recently spent the weekend at the Makindu Children's Center to mentor children, lead activities and pitch in with daily chores. The day resource facility helps vulnerable and destitute children, many of whom are AIDS orphans, by providing access to education through high school as well as meeting medical and nutritional needs. The Center also offers social-psychological support, advocacy and vocational training. The children live with foster families in rural communities southeast of Nairobi.

The EaSEP students also evaluated various aspects of the Center, such as facilities, transitional programs for the oldest children, the impact of a new borehole for irrigation and general use, computer literacy, government and NGO support, and community relations. Special thanks go to Makindu's welcoming program director, Thomas Mwanzia, EaSEP student Vivian Kiniga (Cornell '19) and EaSEP Chair Lillian Boit for coordinating the effort. The trip also marked the maiden voyage of EaSEP's new van, a gift of Stabex International.

FIVE EARN EARLY ADMISSION

1/6/2015

A record five EaSEP students earned early decision admission to U.S. universities in December, bringing the total number of EaSEP scholarship winners to 36 in the program's six-year history. Five more students are awaiting regular decision announcements in March.

Nairobi's Vivian Kiniga (The Kenya High School) will enroll next fall in Cornell's School of Agriculture and Life Sciences, becoming the sixth EaSEP student to matriculate at the Ivy League university. Her focus is biomedical engineering.

Vincent Bett (Alliance High School) of Nandi Hills will be EaSEP's first student at Tufts, in the School of Engineering, and Getrude Ndungu (Moi Girls High School-Eldoret) from the Mombasa area will be EaSEP's first at Amherst. While interested in architecture and economics, she is also drawn to Amherst's Women's and Gender Studies.

David Chege (Mang'u High School) will be EaSEP's third Princeton student and plans to pursue engineering. David is from a rural section of Kiambu, north of Nairobi. Shadrack Lilan (Alliance High School) will join a pair of current EaSEP alums at Penn, also in engineering. Shadrack has roots in the Nandi Hills area and currently lives in Nairobi.

Vincent Bett

Vivian Kiniga

By the numbers

11/30/2014

The EaSEP Class of 2014 put up impressive numbers on standardized tests this year, topping previous classes in almost all areas: the best scores ever on the SAT and SAT 2, and the greatest depth in those scoring over 1900 on the SAT and 100 on the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). SAT 2 scores were also very high across the board.

This year’s class included one student who scored 2390 (out of 2400 points) on the SAT, the maximum 800 on each of four SAT Subject Tests (Math 1 and 2, Biology and Physics) and 115 on the TOEFL.

Percentile rankings for the class averages were 88 for Critical Reading (mean score 638 points), 89 for Math (676 points) and 94 for Writing (683 points). Percentiles are based on all college-bound, test-taking seniors.

by the numbers

11/30/2014

The EaSEP Class of 2014 put up impressive numbers this year, topping previous classes in almost all areas: the best scores ever on the SAT and SAT 2, and the greatest depth in those scoring over 1900 on the SAT and 100 on the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). SAT 2 scores were also very high across the board.

This year’s class included one student who scored 2390 (out of 2400 points) on the SAT, the maximum 800 on each of three SAT Subject Tests (Math 2, Biology and Physics) and 115 on the TOEFL. A second student had two perfect SAT Subject scores.

NEARING THE FINISH LINE

11/6/2014

EaSEP students will wrap up their exams soon, with the SAT Subject Tests Nov. 8. Early decision college admissions will be announced in mid-December.

Here's a look at the EaSEP Class of 2014: