Defying All Odds
By Lisa Kahuthu
Does the name Daisy Wanzala Sumba sound familiar? If yes, you probably heard of her from the Safaricom BLAZE B.Y.O.B. show. Daisy emerged second runners up out of twelve contestants in the second season of the show which concluded early this year. Since then, she has been pursuing her passion of Communications and working on building her PR firm- DW Communications. Additionally, she writes for Genevieve Magazine, a Nigerian publication. Daisy is a USIU-Africa alumna and we got a chance to engage with her and hear about her time at the institution.
Background
Daisy joined USIU-Africa in the year 2012 to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and graduated in 2015 with an excellent G.P.A. Initially, her choice to pursue this program was not well received at home. Her single mother preferred her only child to pursue French like she had or Law.
Despite her mother’s resistance to the idea, Daisy still went ahead to apply to USIU-Africa. Unfortunately, her mother passed away before she received her acceptance letter. She was devastated by her passing since her mother and grandmother were all she had; having lost her father and siblings earlier in life to HIV/AIDS. In spite of this tragedy, Daisy was still determined to join USIU-Africa and receive a great education.
USIU-Africa Financial Aid Boost
Her academic merit enabled her to receive financial assistance through USIU-Africa’s financial aid office through two scholarships namely: Mel Kuol program and Work Study program. Daisy appreciates the goodwill of the Mel Kuol program whose support enabled her to have the experience of a regular student despite her being an orphan. She was able to focus on her schoolwork and participate in extra-curricular activities at USIU-Africa.
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