From Classrooms to Campuses:
The big dilemma hits after completing your secondary school level education and sitting exams with a pass to higher institutions of learning. The big question that leaves many post high school students baffled is what next? This comes with a series of stories on the online platform, friends and families regarding the nature of campus life, selection of courses and other concerns such as HELB.
We understand these concerns and as Brightpath Kenya, we align with our mission to ensure we nurture young people in the bright paths that mould them to successful people in the future. Without leaving no stine unturned to the best of our abilities, we sought to hold a post-high school workshop that brought together fresh graduates from high school and mentors. The aftermath of this event culminated into some very important conversations about what comes next?
On the 14th of March, we witnessed a kind of energy filled with hope, desire and gratitude in the room full of young people who have just closed one chapter of their lives and are about to open another.
The Post High School Workshop
The workshop was intentionally designed to be practical and honest with were no generic motivational speeches alongside “follow your dreams” platitudes. The objective of this workshop was plain in black and white. To address
- Campus Life: What to genuinely expect when university or college begins i.e the good, the adjustment, and everything in between.
- Course Selection: How to match your interests, strengths, and the job market when choosing what to study.
- Decoding KUCCPS: A plain-language walkthrough of the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service
- Unpacking HELB: From application to disbursement, how the Higher Education Loans Board works and how to make it work for you.
The workshop was triggered by a series of question ffrom our studenst during the previsoud mentorship camp on the above concerns. Some of the question circled around: How do I pick the right course? What even is KUCCPS and how does it work? Can HELB actually cover my fees? Do I have to figure this all out alone?
Filling the needs and concerns of these young vulnerable students and seeing them grow up to responsible, dedicated, committed and successful citizen in our country is the whole point of BrightPath Kenya.
The Mentors
We are enormously grateful to the mentors who gave up their schedule to pour into the next generation. These were not strangers reciting slides; they were people who had navigated the very same crossroads our students now face. They brought their stories, their stumbles, their hard-won wisdom, and more than a few laughs.
The conversation flowed freely. Students who arrived with their hands buried in their pockets and a slightly nervous grin were raising their hands and firing questions by mid-morning. That shift is everything.
The Big Questions
- On course choices: The mentors emphasized the difference between choosing a course because it sounds impressive and choosing one because it aligns with who you are. The labour market is evolving fast, and Kenya needs graduates who are passionate, not just credentialed. Students were encouraged to research career pathways, speak to professionals in their fields of interest, and not to panic if they are still unsure as there is room to explore.
- On KUCCPS: This was predictably one of the most hotly discussed topics. The placement system can feel like a maze, and many students arrive at it with second-hand information that is half right at best. Mentors broke down the cluster system, how grade cut-offs work, the difference between government-sponsored and self-sponsored programs, and critically, how to make strategic program choices that maximize placement chances without compromising ambition.
- On HELB: The Higher Education Loans Board exists to make campus accessible, but navigating its application process is not always straightforward. Students left the session with a clear picture of what documents they need, the timelines to follow, and what the loan actually covers so they can plan, not panic.
The journey from high school to campus is not a leap in the dark.
With the right information, the right community, and the right mentors in your corner, it is a step forward; taken with intention, taken with support, and taken with a little bit of excitement for everything that lies ahead.
What Comes Next?
For our students, the next steps are practical: monitor KUCCPS revision windows, get HELB applications in order, start conversations about accommodation and campus preparation. BrightPath Kenya will continue to walk alongside them through this transition because the workshop was not the end of the conversation. It was the beginning of one.
Mentorship & Empowerment Programmes
Brian George