STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
SALOME WANGARI
UNIVERSITY OF IOWA
I started my primary education in 1997 at a tender age of five years at Mai Mahiu primary school and completed in 2003 at the age of 15 years. I was the best candidate in the year scoring 386/500 marks. I considered this a great success given that I overcame many obstacles such as being sent home for lack of school fees every now and then. Since there was no electricity, I could hardly learn and revise in the evening since the family could not afford paraffin for a simple glass lamp. In the subsequent year, I proceeded to Karima secondary school. Despite scoring good grades for a provincial ranking school, I attended a district school which was known for poor performance. Nonetheless, I made a promise to myself that I will reverse the trend for the school and work hard to earn a university grade.
Throughout my secondary education, I used to be the best student from form one to form four. I sat for my Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) in 2007 and managed to score a A-. I was overjoyed to earn a university grade, but little did I know that my happiness was short-lived. The government raised the cut-off entry points for the government sponsored students to join the limited slots in the six government universities that existed then. I missed the cut-off points by a single point. In 2008 and 2009, I had to stay at home and help my parents with farming and household chores since they could not afford to take me to self-sponsored programs. I felt that my education journey would not end at the secondary level. I made efforts to apply for nursing colleges and got invitation letters, but I had no one to sponsor me through.
Luckily, the Kenyan government increased the number of universities from six to 22. It was then that those of us who were locked out in 2008 were invited to pioneer the new universities in 2010. I joined Dedan Kimathi University of agriculture and technology (DeKUT) as a government sponsored student pursuing bachelor of commerce (BCOM) degree. DeKUT was then a constituent college of Jomo Kenyatta University Of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT). I completed my undergraduate in 2013 and got a second-class upper division.
After graduation, I got employed by Family Bank Holdings as a bank clerk in 2013 as banking services exploded and penetrated in many regions in the country. I worked as a teller and a relationship officer with the bank until 2018. I felt that I needed to take some time off from banking and exercise entrepreneurship skills as I take care of my children. I have been a momprenuer since 2018 to date; selling women clothes.
My goal is to become economically and academically empowered, which is in line with the millennium development goals. I feel that education is the major path to women empowerment. In the area I come from, illiteracy rate is very high, especially for girls who drop out of school and get married. Without education, it is nearly impossible to break the vicious cycle of poverty that I grew up with. The degree of Master of Science in Supply Chain Management offered at
The University of IOWA will enable me to build further my undergraduate business knowledge and professional skills that are needed in the present corporate world. The course will give me exposure to different business experiences and dynamism that characterize the present world, as well as empower me as a woman in line with the third Millennium Development Goal that seeks to promote gender equality and empower women. The modern information and technology age requires individuals who are tech savvy. I believe that the course will impart me the necessary technological skills for analyzing business information.
The knowledge, skills and experience that I will attain will be useful in helping me steer our developing economy towards the realization of its vision 2030. I will also go back to the country as an empowered woman and use my position to motivate young girls that they can defy the odds against them to become what they want in life. I believe that an empowered woman brings up a happy and healthy generation.
I have interest with working with the vulnerable populations, particularly the orphans. I have visited different children homes to offer a helping hand, and this gives me insurmountable joy inside.