Kiminini alumna wins Brookside scholarship
Oliver Mary,(left) Brookside Director of Marketing presents a dummy cheque of Sh14 million to Kenya Secondary School Sports Association( KSSSA) Chair Kimutai Ng'etich (right). PHOTO | MARTIN MUKANGU |
What you need to know:
- Eighteen-year-old Damaris Riana is the latest beneficiary of a sports scholarship in the partnership between Brookside Dairies and Strathmore University.
- Riana, who sat her Kenya Certificate of Secondary of Examination (KCSE) last year at St Brigids Kiminini, scoring an ‘A’ minus, played for her school’s basketball team at both the National and East African Games.
- In 2015, Brookside and Strathmore University unveiled a five-year partnership where the dairy firm offer six students a four-year scholarship to the institution.
Eighteen-year-old Damaris Riana is the latest beneficiary of a sports scholarship in the partnership between Brookside Dairies and Strathmore University.
Riana, who sat her Kenya Certificate of Secondary of Examination (KCSE) last year at St Brigids Kiminini, scoring an ‘A’ minus, played for her school’s basketball team at both the National and East African Games.
In 2015, Brookside and Strathmore University unveiled a five-year partnership where the dairy firm offer six students a four-year scholarship to the institution.
The scholarship meant for basketball and hockey players, who take part in the National Term One Secondary School and East African Games.
One of the qualifications for this scholarship is to score an ‘A’ minus in KCSE if in Kenya or an equivalent of that if the student hails from the other regional countries.
Riana, who was the only student who qualified for this year’s scholarship, will next week start her classes at Strathmore University, where she will be pursuing a degree in Actuarial Science for the next four years after the milk processor paid her full course fees of Sh1.3 million.
“It is a dream come true to be able to have you education paid for and also get to pay the sport you love. This a glorious chance and I promise to make the best of it,” Riana said on Monday during the cheque presentation ceremony at the Hilton Hotel, Nairobi.
Riana, who hails from a humble background in Saiya was scouted by former national team coach and current Strathmore University ladies basketball team coach Ronnie Owino.
“She plays as a point guard and based on what I have seen, she can make the national team in a few years to come,” Owino said.
Brookside Director of Marketing Oliver Mary said the company was in talks with Strathmore University to lower the qualification grade from A minus to B+.
“The scholarship is meant for six students but only one qualified this year, we will consider making changes so that we can have all six slots filled next year,” he said.
