Yes, I was the best student but definitely not the most successful

 Students celebrate outcome of results

The announcement of Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) results always trigger nostalgic memories. It reminds me of February 28, 2003, when the late Professor George Saitoti, then minister for education, announced the KCSE results which changed my life.

Against all odds, my name topped the list of best performers. It was as unbelievable as it was real, for not even my school was ranked anywhere among the top performers.

I was young, naïve and ambitious.

The heavy burden of success, and the publicity it attracted, weighed heavily on me. Thankfully, I stoically took it in and it never occurred to me that I was anybody special. Being so conspicuous, with my face splashed on TV screens turned my life into a public affair.

The next daunting task was career choice. All manners of advice, from nuclear science, medicine, law, actuarial science and medicine, were generously given by people. A brilliant mind should take on something tough and rare, they encouraged.

Such a score shouldn’t be wasted in Kenyan universities, they suggested. But my choice and passion remained my constant north.

Later in 2004, when I joined the University of Nairobi, it dawned on me that my earlier success would in no way guarantee success in the School of Medicine.

I realised that I had just climbed a hill, yet before me, were many mountains.

Failure and success came in almost equal measure at the university. Tactics, it became apparent, were more important than brains. When I finished university after six years, I looked around to see if I was the most successful or the richest. Not so. People who had achieved moderate grades in Form Four were enjoying greater success.

As Prof Jacob Kaimenyi announced the KCSE results for last year, I reflected on the lessons I have learnt over the past decade, and seeing young candidates overjoyed with their success. It is no mean feat obviously. They deserve congratulations. I share with them what I have learnt, so that even as they revel in their success, they should remember to cast an optimistic eye into the future.

When I was announced the top candidate, I thought I did not have to exert myself anymore. I thought I was now safely at the pinnacle of success. Sooner, it became clear that all I had done was chart a specific path for my future. It’s one thing to chart a path, and another to follow it.

As one wise man said, success is like a bicycle; you must keep pedalling so as not to fall off.

Evidently, success after high school is not a preserve of top performers. KCSE is a gateway to the next phase of life, and does not necessarily guarantee a safe landing in career.

In the last decade, I have interacted with several people who performed modestly in their KCSE, and went on to be very successful in their lives.

I have also met several top performers who rested on their laurels and went on to crash down the ladder. The principles of success, whether a top performer or not, remain the same. There are several things a candidate should know after clearing high school. First, let go of certainty.

Embrace uncertainty, for it helps people learn and grow. There is no linear trajectory to follow in a career. Passion may lead you into wavy or curved lines.

Don’t fear to experiment with life - experimentation is the source of all discoveries in life. You must listen to your inner voice and discern what you are good at. Merging the available opportunities and your calling remains the holy grail of career selection. Parents should facilitate, rather than dictate to their children on career choices.

There’s nothing more miserable than living somebody’s dream. Cut your own niche, because in this world, you are wholly responsible for your life.

Success in ‘chewing books’

Over the years, we have been used to dramatic scenes of fever-pitch celebrations, beamed live on national TV, whenever the KCPE and KCSE results are announced. We have almost been programmed to expect who the big winners are likely to be. Tables turned in 2002 when the top candidate was announced: Paul Bundi, from Kanyakeni High School in Meru. It may have been the first time most people heard of the rather obscure district school.

Unlike most top candidates who fade in obscurity after their Standard Eight or Form Four feats, Paul proceeded to make strides at the university where he earned a First Class Honours in medicine and is currently pursuing his second masters degree as he practices.

Dr Bundi leads a busy life as a doctor and a student. Yet, he still finds time to write books and speak to students about high performance and excellence, and that in life, there are no limits, regardless of our backgrounds.

He believes that no one is born with high achievement genes and that it is possible for most people to flourish academically if they cultivate and nurture the right disciplines.

These are the insights he shares in his bestselling book, Journey to Academic Success and Beyond, published by WordAlive. In this book, Paul discusses such subjects as how to develop good study techniques, how to nurture a positive attitude, how to set practical goals, and how to overcome fear.

Each chapter concludes with a section comprising of a chapter summary in bullet points and a brief reflection. The book ends with a “Personal Pledge” section, designed to help students evaluate themselves, and help them make specific commitments to improve their grades and grow as individuals.

The book, approved by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), costs Sh690 at the Text Book Centre (TBC) and other bookshops in Kenya.

The young doctor has already ventured into creative writing and his first novel may be released by 2016. Could he be following in the footsteps of the eminent surgeon and prolific writer, Yusuf Dawood? Only time will tell.