Dr. Gladys Ngetich Chepkirui, an award-winning Kenyan aerospace engineer, is among the youngest PhD holders in Kenya.
Her rise to the top is a testament to determination and hope, given the challenges she faced in her quest for success.
Born in Nakuru County, Chepkirui attended Lelaibei Primary School, where she sat her Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exam, graduating with 298 out of 500 marks.
“Proceeding to a good high school was nearly impossible with these paltry marks -in stark contrast, the leading KCPE candidate nationally that year had 472 marks,” she revealed.
The performance did not deter her from aiming higher, thanks to a teacher who aided her admission to Mercy Girls’ Secondary school in Kericho.
Chepkirui worked hard and ended up graduating not only as the top student in her school but also as the top student in the whole Kipkelion District.
Her excellent performance earned her a slot at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) to pursue a BSc. in Mechanical Engineering, graduating with a distinction.
While at JKUAT, Chepkirui said she had never met a woman with a PhD in engineering or even someone in their twenties who had one.
Having no family or friends who had pursued doctoral studies, she always assumed that PhDs were reserved for older, brilliant men.
However, her perspective shifted when a classmate advised her to apply for a PhD directly, a suggestion that would later earn her admission to the University of Oxford.
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Chepkirui recalled sending an email to a professor of turbomachinery at the University of Oxford to inquire if skipping a master’s and proceeding directly to PhD studies was even possible.
The professor requested a brief Skype interview and was impressed by Chepkirui’s academic excellence and deep understanding of foundational concepts.
He told her, “Given your excellent grades and your deep understanding of foundational concepts, you’re ready for a PhD. Come look for me when you report at Oxford in Autumn.”
She joined the University of Oxford in 2015 and completed her PhD in 2019 at just 28 years old. She earned a DPhil in Engineering Science (Aerospace), funded by the Rhodes Scholarship, from the University of Oxford, where she researched advanced techniques for cooling jet engines.
“I had ambitious dreams, but getting admission to the University of Oxford and winning the Rhodes Trust Scholarship were not in the list of my dreams,” she added.
Additionally, in 2016, she was awarded the Tanenbaum Fellowship, which is an annual competitive fellowship awarded to Rhodes Scholars for a multifaceted program in Israel.
She was also named among the 2018 incredibly amazing Top 10 UK’s Rare Rising Stars. She is also the recipient of the Schmidt Fellow Award, which is given to the world’s best aspiring scientists.
Chepkirui advised others struggling with low academic performance to aim higher, while calling on learning institutions to look beyond grades when admitting learners.
“I hope my academic journey resonates with someone. Keep going, give your all (even if your all gives you 298/500 marks!), keep stretching beyond the comfort zone, keep dreaming because no one knows what the future holds,” She advised.
“And how I wish more schools would do the unusual and often look beyond the grades in transcripts, especially during admission,” Chepkirui added.
