our roots

emphasis on self-awareness and self-control
as a basis for relating with others (popularly
assessed as team work ability), critical
thinking and problem solving. Rudyard
Kipling in one of his poems points out that
“if you can keep your head when all about
you are losing theirs and blaming it on you…
then yours is the earth and everything in it.”
The beauty about emotional intelligence is
that it can be learnt and practiced. People
who have high emotional intelligence listen
and are open to feedback. They apply that
feedback to continuous focus on growth
and development. A senior partner at Price
Waterhouse Coopers has been quoted as
saying that “individuals with high emotional
intelligence can admit when they are wrong,
they willingly step out of their comfort zones,
they take risks and are quick to adapt to
change, and they have quiet confidence that
promotes stability and team work. They are
not insecure; in fact they are great mentors
and coaches.”
A Jewel in the Making
The story of my life at Daystar University
began on 16th August 2012; a journey
whose end will be marked by a
celebration; with me wearing a black gown
and a mortar board - I will finally be granted
‘the power to read.’ As my fellow graduands
in the class of 2015 are granted the power
to do all that pertains to their degree, I know
most of them, just like me cannot help but
sigh and look back at their journey through
Daystar.
Three years ago, I could have sworn that I
was only interested in the education offered
at Daystar. I had heard that the packaging of
the courses was one to die for; with stateof-the-art
equipment, space and qualified
facilitators, and I was looking forward to have
myself sharpened for the job market.
By Dorcas Wanjiru
Cultural intelligence is another
major trait that helps individuals position
themselves for career success. This
refers to the ability to note and work
with different multicultural identifiers.
Pamela A. Hays, offers the “Addressing
framework” for recognizing and working
with cultural influences -helping readers
understand identity as a multidimensional
combination of age, developmental and
acquired disabilities, religion, ethnicity,
socio-economic status, indigenous heritage,
national origin, and gender. I find this
approach applicable to addressing clients
and colleagues’ issues.
If one is passionate about what he or
she does, one can easily position himself or
herself for career success. Finding a career
that you have a passion for is all about
obtaining fulfillment. Career passion is not
about money; it is about how the job makes
you feel within. Loving your job and career
will go a long way to help you love your life,
so take the time to find your career passion.
The ideal scenario is one where you find a
career that combines what you love to do
with your ability to do it.
Breaking and mending relationships
characterized my first year at Daystar. I
met very interesting people, most of who
ended up being my friends. I also had
many experiences, some of which I would
have loved to forget, but at the end of the
year, I walked out a totally different person;
one who had realized that I could not be
everything to everyone; I had to be me.
My second year saw me give my life
to Christ and start a new journey and a
relationship with Christ. I was new to the
faith but God gave me a family in Daystar
Christian Fellowship (DCF). Though mine
were just baby steps into the faith, I found
mentors, friends and father in the faith. Just
before I completed my second year, I got an
opportunity to serve in the Ladies Fellowship,
a sub-committee under DCF. Here, my faith
grew the more and my life got a new sense
of purpose.
In my third year, God humbled me
and put me in yet another leadership
position. I served as the Ladies Fellowship
chairperson. This capacity saw me rub
shoulders with some great powerful women
in the University. It instilled in me a sense
of responsibility, not only with my life, but
with the other ladies who faithfully attended
the fellowship meetings. Away from faith, I
also served in one of the committees in the
Daystar University Students’ Association.
The level of responsibility here was even
higher. The shy, timid me was replaced by a
determined self, ready to tackle challenges.
Stress levels were high and I learnt to control
my tempers. My third year saw me grow
from a shy timid little girl, to a lady who made
commitments and valued responsibility.
I am in the last semester of my fourth
year. I look back with nostalgia and
misbelieve at how far I have come. I have
handed my responsibilities to other people,
and am fully concentrating on my studies
now, only lending a helping hand whenever
I have the opportunity. This year has made
me realize how important it is to live out
your life and impact people. My only hope
is that my three and a half years in this
institution will not see me just as another
face in the Students’ Yearbook but a person
whose impact will be felt long after I have left
Daystar.
As I leave this great institution and step
out into world, I am not sure what life holds
for me, but just as the saying goes, “You
can take a person out of the village but
you cannot take the village out of them.”
Similarly, I know that I will be out of Daystar,
but Daystar DaystarConnect will always be 2015 within • me. 39