Our Nova Pioneer admissions team hosted an online connect session with past graduates. The event was an opportunity for the Alumni to meet the High School’s incoming Form 1 class of 2021 and to reflect on their Nova Pioneer experience.

Nova Pioneer was founded to be a launchpad where ambitious young Africans can begin to shape a better future for the continent and the world. Nova Pioneer’s method of teaching and learning is aimed at preparing our students for and equipping them with the right skills and knowledge a post-school environment full of uncertainty and challenges.

Looking on the success of Nova Pioneer’s alumni as they continue to prove to us each passing year through their progress there is a feeling of immense pride amongst the team.

The incoming students were curious to learn from the alumni students on different subject matters ranging from boarding life to their learning experience and here are some of the main questions they raised during the session.

What are some of the things that you’re happy Nova Pioneer taught you that have now prepared you for life after school?

Wire Onyango(Class of 2020)

I am happy with how Nova Pioneer gave me a platform to develop my inner and outer voice. Being a student at Nova Pioneer helped me to develop my social skills as I am now able to easily express myself and I can interact with various people from different backgrounds with ease. More so, being a Novaneer has taught me how to manage my emotions better when interacting with different people from different backgrounds. I now interact more freely with others and it has made communication and expressing myself easier post-school. While at Nova Pioneer, I got an opportunity to  Intern with the Marketing & Admissions team that further helped me to work on my social skills.

What do you miss about Nova Pioneer?

Fatma Bonaya(Class of 2020)

I miss the togetherness, the effect of the cultural principles, the serene environment, and the feeling of happiness and independence. Nova Pioneer felt like home. We all want to be at a place where you feel warm and safe just like at home.

In hindsight, do you have anything that you would have done differently or more of while at Nova Pioneer? 

Raphael Kathambana(Class of 2020)

Nova is a mix of learning, fun, community, and exploration and it was always a joy to be busy in the many activities that we had at our disposal. Personally, I wish I would have pursued more of the opportunities that the school offers endlessly.

How did Nova Pioneer Prepare You For University? 

Andrew Jones (Class of 2019)

The day after graduation is a mark of growth and completion of milestones and a station for assigning bigger and tougher steps. 4 years is a lot to celebrate but what becomes of life after it? Having made my crossover in 2019, as a form 4 leaver, it becomes a stage of self-reflection and exploration of short and long-term decisions. 

The intensity of choices such as career paths, responsibilities, and basic life skills gets to its peak. Outside Nova Pioneer walls lies a different world where practical independence is key. The most anticipated post-school feature is University. With a variety of courses available for exploring, you are subjected to choose a line of study to satisfy your interests for the next four years and life after that. As compelling as that may be, factors such as passion, talents, jobs, and income sources come into consideration and it’s best if you analyze all factors before committing to a specific course.

 Outside academics, it’s the point of modeling an independent character and understanding that the influence of parents tends to loosen up. To make the transition, it’s best for both the parents and kids to take the risk of investing in an activity your son or daughter might be passionate about. I consider this as one of the best methods of self-discovery: taking the risk of exploring and failing forward by learning from it. However, if you find something of interest and get fortunate enough to reap some benefits from it, then that becomes a great achievement for both parties. 

All in all, there’s a large gap period between high school and university, take time to navigate different pathways until you get one where you envision will make you happy.

When you’re caught up in a negative mindset, what are some of the things that you tell yourself or things you do to get yourself out of that space?

Jeanne Sere(Class of 2020)

The first thing I used to do was talk to my closest friends because that would help me get some of the negativity out of my mind as a result of sharing how I felt about things. This really helped because I’d get encouragement from them and you realize that you can’t do things alone as the old saying goes that, “no man is an island.” You certainly need support from the community around you to help you rise above the challenges you face.

 I also used to refer back to the Bible which always used to play a vital role in encouraging me to push on even when faced with challenges and to eventually avoid being in negative mind space.

To hear more from our alumni students, feel free to click on the video below;

Should you have any Admissions related inquiries, please reach out to us via admissions.ke@novapioneer.com. We look forward to hearing from you.