Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology through her division of Research, Innovation and Outreach has reached out to over 10 secondary schools in Tongaren Constituency Bungoma County.
In a well-organized career talk day at St. Peters Ndalu Secondary School in Ndalu Division, JOOUST dons led by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of Research Innovation and Outreach (RIO) Prof. Benson Estambale, had the opportunity to talk to over 3,000 form four students selected from ten schools within Tongaren Constituency. This move is aimed at guiding students in selection of their career subjects that would help them persue their preferred careers in life.
While giving his keynote address at the event, the guest speaker of the day Dr. Walter Ongeti who is also the JOOUST council chairman encouraged the students to embrace every word spoken to them by the speakers since in them they have opportunity to change their lives and set right their goals. Dr. Ongeti told the students to aim at nothing less than proceeding to the university after their high school education, a statement that was supported by his colleague in the council Mr. Ibrahim Mtembei who challenged the students that education does not stop at form four but continues up to PhD level. “If you leave school after form four wewe ujue umetoroka shule, if you stop at the first degree then you are a school dropout and if you stop at masters then your certificate is incomplete, therefore PhD is the limit.” Said Mtembei.
Dr. Ongeti also stressed on the fact that Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology is a public university that admits all qualified students from all over the country and beyond and therefore advised the students to have JOOUST in consideration while choosing the Universities of their choice. He encouraged the students to have a vision and believe that it is possible to achieve their visions through hard work.
Dr. Ongeti never missed his words when he challenged the parents and community members to invest more in education as it is the only investment that has a return of a lifetime. He said, “If you want a return for one year panda mahindi and you will harvest after a year, if you want returns after ten years panda mti but if you want returns of a life time invest in education and you will never regret.” We are here as a science based university to help you know which careers are selling more than others, which careers are marketable than others, which opportunities thrive out there than others.
Prof. Estambale on his side encouraged the students to keep their eyes on their targets and avoid as much as possible any distracters that may interrupt their concentration. “Keep your eye on the ball and never look sideways.” He said. “I am a professor and it didn’t drop from stars, I worked for it through determination, so you must decide what you want now and work hard to achieve your goal.” He stressed. Prof. Estambale