On Thursday April 21, 2011 Gloria C. Ngeno, a graduating MPA student, proudly walked into the office of Ambassador Denis Antoine, Director of the Office of International Programs and Exchange (OIPE), University of the District of Columbia with a check in the amount of $3,000. Eight months prior when Ms. Ngeno was trying to register for the fall semester and was not able to do so because of her inability to complete payment for the previous semester. She had literally exhausted all of her avenues trying to raise funds to retire this past debt. Moreover, she did not actually know how she would pay for the fall semester.
Ms. Ngeno shared her plight with Dr. Antonia Nowell, Professor of Public Administration in the School of Business and Public Administration. After exhausting her resources, Dr. Nowell took Ms. Ngeno to the Ambassador Antoine. He had been already been deluged by numerous student requests and his funds were nearly depleted. However he managed to provide $3,000 for her to stay in school. In Dr. Nowell’s presence, Ms. Ngeno promised to give the Ambassador ALL of the $3,000 back as soon as she became able to do so.
Because of this generosity, Ms Ngeno was able to register for classes; apply and be accepted as a Graduate Student Intern in the UDC PATHS program where she commenced to work part time; and, finish the 2010 fall semester with a GPA of 4.00. With the part-time salary she now received from her internship, Ms. Ngeno was able to put aside a maximum amount each pay period with the goal of living up to her promise. Of course she also had to live very frugally to do so. Fulfilling her promise was gratifying to Ms Ngeno not only because it demonstrated her integrity but also because Ambassador Antoine indicated that he would now be able to use the $3,000 immediately for three students who were in dire need of immediate assistance.
Gloria Ngeno is an International student from Kenya, Rift Valley Province. She came to the U.S. in the spring of 2009 to pursue her Master of Public Administration degree. She had previously completed her undergraduate degree in Food, Nutrition and Dietetics at Egerton University, Kenya and will receive her MPA degree on May 7, 2011 with a GPA of 3.96. Ms. Ngeno is planning to pursue her PhD in international health at the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
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