My name is Lee Mugweru. I’m from Nairobi, Kenya, and I attended Light Academy Boys Secondary School. I’m currently a freshman at Pomona College.

Why I decided to Study Abroad

My love for soccer initially inspired my dream to study abroad. I love watching it, and I love playing it even more! I wanted opportunities to play competitively, maybe even professionally. That faded into a pipe dream, though. After finishing high school, I was uncertain about my future career path. Studying abroad—particularly in the United States—offered the chance to explore various academic fields before committing to a major. That flexibility sealed the deal for me.

Why Pomona?

I didn’t really know what I wanted to do with my life after high school. I was introduced to the concept of liberal arts colleges by one of my mentors at EducationUSA. It stood out because it allows students to discover their interests without being locked into a single path. 

In an attempt to learn more about this category of schools and what they offered, I started attending webinars organized by the schools. Through webinars hosted by Pomona, I learned that they valued students who didn’t yet have their lives figured out. Their admissions officers reassured me that being undecided about my major was not just accepted but actually encouraged. The school’s appreciation of this particular facet of my identity led me to apply, and it was the only school I applied to.

My Stats

Academically, I graduated with an 11.77/12 GPA and earned an A in the Kenyan Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), placing me in the 99th percentile of over 881,000 candidates.

Extracurricular Activities

Outside the classroom, my extracurricular activities were deeply rooted in community service, civic engagement, and social justice. I was also active in debate, journalism, and soccer clubs. My awards were from writing competitions and Model United Nations events.

Telling My Story Through Essays

My personal statement focused on a cultural practice I disagreed with and how I derived my identity from that particular act of non-conformity. There were three supplemental essays. For two of them, I wrote about Kenya’s political system and how I envisioned a Pomona education empowering me to create change in the system. The third essay described an impactful moment when I was addressing a crowd at a market about a devastating fire in my community that had claimed several lives.

The Application Journey

The application process took me about eight months. I owe much of my success to EducationUSA, where mentors and peers guided me every step of the way. I was connected to other people who had gone through the same application process and gotten accepted to highly selective schools in the United States. They were our mentors and taught us how to write college-level essays and tell our stories to the admissions officers. My high school counselors and friends also chipped in to help review my essays and give me advice on areas I could bolster in my application.

We began with simple writing exercises, then we exposed ourselves to past successful Kenyan applications, brainstormed ideas around several prompts from different universities, and then began building parts of our applications bit by bit until they told comprehensive narratives about our lives.

Also, College Essay Guy, LimmyTalks videos, and Pomona College’s social media pages were important resources I used.

Financial Aid and Support

Pomona awarded me 100% financial aid using the information from my CSS profile. This covered all my expenses.

Advice for Aspiring Students

• Tell your story authentically and in a way only you can do it

• Build a support system: Seek feedback from mentors, friends, and counselors. Listen to other people’s inputs too, because they see things you are blind to. A village got me here; it was not purely an individual effort.

• Get involved early: If you’re still in high school, especially in an African curriculum, pursue extracurricular activities beyond the classroom. Seek discomfort and go out of your comfort zone. Those things matter! They are not a waste of time!

Life at Pomona

When I first got there, the school arranged a separate orientation week for international students. I felt really welcomed by the school community, and the events held during that week strengthened the bond between us international students. It was a really fun week!

Since then, I’ve been involved in so many other affiliated organizations that have taken me in and shaped my experience here in different ways. Whenever I’m in need, there’s always someone to help. This is one of the greatest advantages of liberal arts schools

I am now an Economics major. The classes are really fun and engaging. My world outlook has changed a lot ever since I got here because of the classes I’ve taken and the professors I’ve taken them with. I am in love with the school. I’ve also learned about things I wouldn’t traditionally learn about back home.

Outside of academics, I work as a bike mechanic at the Pomona Green Bikes Shop, where I spend most afternoons. I also play soccer for the consortium’s club team and participate in organizations like the African Student Association and the Randall Lewis Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Work-Life Balance 

One of the best things about Pomona is that your life is what you make it. Depending on the classes you choose, you can tailor your semester’s rigor and difficulty. However, all classes are intellectually demanding, so you have to plan out your schedule to meet your academic needs.