The moment Michelle had been waiting for arrived and it was time for her to relocate from Kenya to the United States to pursue her dreams of obtaining a Master’s degree in cybersecurity at Grand Valley State University in Michigan through The KENYA Airlift Program.
She had never traveled internationally before, so the prospect of moving to a new country was daunting. She recounts how together with her fellow Kenyan students were unsure of certain procedures and customs on the plane and in their new home.
However, Michelle has embraced her new American life with open arms. She is especially proud of the fact that she was able to secure a graduate assistantship job, which not only helped her pay her bills but also provided her with valuable work experience in her field of study.
This article is brought to your courtesy of The KENYA Airlift Program
The KENYA Airlift Program is an award-winning initiative that helps brilliant Kenyan Students achieve the dream of studying in the US regardless of their financial background.
The program was founded in late 2018 by US-based education & technology consultant Bob Mwiti in collaboration with a Member of County Assembly of Meru Hon. Dennis Kiogora popularly referred to as DMK.
The program’s mission is achieved through key partnership with MPOWER Financing as the official lending partner for unsecured student loans that cover both tuition and living expenses, partnership with universities in US where the program negotiates tuition fee waivers and scholarships, partnership with The Airlift Sacco to help finance students’ relocation expenses and partnership with Qatar Airways who offer discounted relocation air tickets to the students.
The program only accommodates ambitious and incredibly talented Kenyans who are willing to take a leap of faith in joining the tech industry by studying STEM or business-related master’s programs.
This award-winning program is trying to fix three major challenges Kenyan Students face in their quest to study in America, namely:
- Acquiring funding for relocation, tuition and living expenses.
- Finding well-paying jobs after graduation
- Acquiring permanent residency in America after graduation
The program is divided into two options; regular and parallel, which are based on the student’s academic qualifications and financial capabilities.
Regular student’s academic requirement is a B plain mean grade in KCSE with a B plain in Mathematics or Physics and a second class division in undergraduate, whereas Parallel students’ academic requirements is a C+ mean grade in KCSE and a second class division in undergraduate.
The program has an active membership of about 2000 students, and as of January 2023, the program has seen over 200 students relocate since inception, to study at various top State Universities in the US, with many more currently in the relocation pipeline.
The program has official working relationship with top Universities in North America namely:
- The University of Alabama in Huntsville
- Grand valley State University
- South Dakota State University
- Indiana University of Pennsylvania
- Missouri State University
If you are interested in joining this fantastic program, please apply today by visiting our website at www.kenyaairliftprogram.com
For any further inquiries, you can also visit our head office in Nairobi at Muthaiga Square, 3rd Floor suite 311 on Thika Road opposite Muthaiga Police Station or you can give us a call at 0721-263-977.
Michelle’s Story of Relocating and Achieving Her American Dream at GVSU
