My
name is Jackline Kerubo from Africa-Kenya, the land of great wildlife and
ecology. My experience at AIU has been beautiful. AIU has opened up a whole new world of learning
for me. Throughout
my study, AIU has supported my academic endeavors through flexibility of
timelines to account for my professional and personal responsibility. AIU has
helped me appreciate distance learning which has rewarded me with
self-motivation, independence and creative thinking. It has not only helped me
know myself better but to convince myself that I will surely reach the goal I
have been craving for. It has helped me realize that there is something that
allows us to be better than we were yesterday.
I
have earned a Bachelor of Science in Monitoring and evaluation which I am about
to be awarded In the next graduation and this will be an instrument in my
career. I believe through this degree I will positively influence my community
and the people around me. The qualifications
obtained through this, has cemented my knowledge such that I can now contribute
to the development of my community in a much more positive way. The skills and
knowledge I have gained through the four phases of my studies at AIU will help
me achieve a high level of performance in my career that will encourage
progress and culture responsibility in whichever organization I will work for. I
can say proudly that the decision to invest in my personal development through
studies at AIU will remain one of the best decisions that I have ever made.
However,
studying at AIU has had challenges too like those of other distance learning
institution. Distance learning requires strength of personal will, desire, perseverance,
patience, writing and re-writing.
Striking
a balance between work, home and study has not been an easy task. In my situation, having a flexible timetable has
worked. I have learnt to separate work from family life and the two (work and family
life) from my studies. One needs to have and dedicate time for each. Staying
peaceful during this study period is also inevitable since conflicts at home or
at work significantly slows one’s academic progress. To be honest, it is
impossible to keep a neat line between the competing issues, in my situation there
were ups and downs, I therefore, tried my level best to keep the challenges
within manageable limits.
Like
many other distance learning students, I have had to pay and will continue paying
for my studies, which means I’m the master of my destiny. Raising funds for my
expenses and studies has not been easy but I fully appreciate AIU Foundation
for academic advancement which granted me a partial scholarship and thus gave
me hope to my academic success. AIU financial department has also been of great
help for granting me a flexible mode of payment throughout my studies, Bravo!
AIU for this program.
Moreover,
there are times when I felt like giving up because of pressure from various
angles in my life. However, the burning desire to succeed and to do something
good for myself, my family and my community kept me going. In order to
continuously measure my level of understanding, I used to bounce my
difficulties with my loving husband, colleagues at work and friends (those who
are academically inclined). In doing so I spotted my weakness and strengths and
how to be opportunistic. Truly, this enhanced my knowledge. Amid of all the
challenges, through thick and thin – I have managed to stand my ground, stick
to my personal goals and complete my studies with AIU.
I would like to encourage those who share the burning
desire for education to also consider AIU as their institution of choice
especially when it comes to distance learning!
-Jackline Kerubo
