Patrick Sumba Mutoro, is a Kenyan immigrant who made the life-changing decision to move to the United States in search of better opportunities.
With a passion for teaching in mathematics and physics, Mutoro believed he had the necessary skills to thrive in the land of opportunity.
Working experience
After successfully completing his teacher training in Kenya, Mutoro was posted at Mudavadi Girls High School to teach mathematics and physics. He later moved to Mutonge High School, where he worked as a teacher for four years.
However, Mutoro soon realized that the pay for S1 teachers with a bachelor’s degree was not enough to sustain him, prompting him to leave the Teacher Service Commission (TSC) job.
Mutoro eventually found work as a math and physics teacher at Laiser High School, where he worked for three years.
He then became the deputy headmaster at Testimony School in Eldoret until 2000, when he left to become the headmaster at Talent High School. Mutoro later moved to Brookshine but was fired for not working up to the expected standards.
He then secured a position as a teacher at Sunshine High School, where he worked for six years.
Dramatic turn of event
Despite his successful career as a teacher in Kenya, Mutoro stumbled upon an advertisement for green card applications while walking in Nairobi Central Business District.
He applied for the card, forgetting about it until he received the news that he had been granted the opportunity to live and work in the United States.
To his surprise, Mutoro was offered a green card and decided to make the move to the United States.
He arrived in the United States with high expectations, but reality hit him hard. Upon landing, he discovered that he could only find two jobs as an immigrant, caregiving, or security.
”Upon my arrival, I did not come across any organization similar to the Teacher Service Commission (TSC) which employs teachers in Kenya. When I inquired about it, I discovered that in order to teach in the first grade, a Bachelor’s degree is a prerequisite,” he said
Since he couldn’t attain the qualification, he quickly opted for the security job and had to undergo training before starting work at a supermarket, where he worked eight hours every day.
Despite this setback, he was determined to get back into teaching, his passion.
He saw an advert for the Grand Canyon teacher preparation course and applied for it. He began taking online classes in the evenings after his security guard job, and upon completion of the course, he obtained the necessary credentials to apply for a teaching job in the US.
Insights gained
Mutoro’s experience as an immigrant in the US has taught him several lessons. Firstly, he realized that a green card only allows one the freedom to move between the 52 states in America, but not necessarily guaranteeing accommodation and employment. One has to struggle to secure housing and employment, even after acquiring a green card.
He advises anyone considering relocating to the US to compare the opportunities available in their home country and what’s at stake abroad.
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“Before deciding to move to the US, compare what you have in Kenya and what is at stake abroad. Sometimes you relocate and find that whatever is on the table is not what you expected,” he advises.
Often, people relocate with high expectations, only to find that the opportunities on offer are not what they anticipated. As a result, many individuals become frustrated and disillusioned.