Kenya’s marquee ivy league alumni group, Ivy Plus Group of Kenya, just marked their one-year anniversary with their 3rd edition of their meet-ups, held at the Nairobi Social House.
Since its inception, the group has brought together like-minded individuals to dine, wine and bounce off that ivy-league ingenuity with their gatherings that have hitherto attracted a plethora of alumni of ivy-league and affiliate universities from far and beyond.
The main objectives of Ivy Plus Group of Kenya are:
1. Building a vibrant community
2. Increasing the number of admissions of Kenyans to these universities
3. Helping returning graduates to integrate better into the community
Now marking marking one year since inception, the group summoned a record 43 upper echelon brains during Saturday’s edition. The most attended edition yet, the event was glitzy as they come. The Sauce caught up with some of the attendees for an inside look.
Inset: Catherine Mugeria
“It was important for me to be a part of the Ivy Plus Group of Kenya because it gives me the opportunity to interact with like-minded individuals from my country. My long-term plan is to eventually move back to Kenya, and having a network I can tap into is invaluable both professionally and personally. At the end of the day, I am Kenyan first, and being part of this group helps me stay connected to what’s happening on the ground,” Says Catherine Mugeria, a finance professional at Pfizer based in New York. Mugeria holds an MBA from Cornell University.
Inset: Teddy Onserio
Backing Mugeria’s assertion, Teddy Onserio adds, “The camaraderie with friends who shared the same experience is invaluable. It is great to exchange ideas, opportunities, and simply unwind together.” Onserio is a Director at Haba Capital and holds Masters degree in IT from MIT.
On her main takeaways from the anniversary edition, Harriet Muutu, a recent graduate of Computer Science and Economics from Brown University quipped: “The diversity of people really stood out. Some alumni have been back in Kenya for a decade, while others only returned a few months ago. They’re building careers in tech, finance, entrepreneurship, and beyond. It was a reminder that there is a lot happening back home, often more than you realize. The second takeaway was the responsibility that comes with belonging to such a network. We’ve been given so much, and with that comes a duty: to lead, to give back, and to inspire.
Inset: Brian Aredo
On the pertinent question as regards what mostly makes up for a perfect ivy-league institution, one Brian Aredo gave his two cents: “In my view, a perfect Ivy League university is one that combines rigorous academics that challenge students to think critically, a diverse and global community that enriches learning through different perspectives, unparalleled access to networks and opportunities that extend well beyond the classroom, and a strong commitment to cultivating leaders with a sense of purpose and service. It is this blend that makes the Ivy League experience prestigious and equips graduates to drive meaningful impact in the world.”
Like many first anniversaries, this commemoration was no mean feat. Most importantly, forging forward and setting new objectives for the next year is imperative. What milestones do the members want achieved in the next 1-year period leading up to the second anniversary? “I would want to see the governance structure of the group set up, creation of an advisory service line with actual consulting work done as well as the holding of an ivy-league session with prospective and promising students,” Stella Maina opines. Maina is a management consultant currently pursuing an executive MBA at Columbia University.
Aredo concurs, emphasizing on the need for the establishment of at least one flagship initiative focused on helping Kenyan students access ivy-league plus opportunity.
For enquiries and more information, reach to Ivy Plus Group of Kenya via ivypluskenya@gmail.com
All Images courtesy of Afromention: https://www.instagram.com/ndiranguwarug/
