Serah Ombongi
Quick Facts
B.S., magna cum laude, Nursing, 2023
Registered Nurse, Intensive Care Unit, St. Clare Hospital, Lakewood, WA
“Since all of us belong to the same or shared societies, driven with the spirit to correct wrongs in the society through dialogue, action, we are advocates for civility and justice. I understand that Alfies value respect, open-mindedness, and diversity as they defend the weak and enlighten those that do not understand the need for social change.”
Service & Work:
ATC Healthcare-CNA Lead, Bellevue, WA, March 2020–March 2021
Emergency Department Behavioral Watch, Seattle Children’s Center, 2021
Patient Care Technician, Overlake Medical Center, Bellevue, WA, 2021–Present
CNA, ATC Healthcare, Bellevue, WA, 2020–2021
CAN, Covenant Living at the Shores, Mercer Island, WA, 2019–2021
Caregiver, Pacific Northwest Adult Home, Des Moines, WA, 2019
Above and Beyond Adult Family Home, Renton, WA, 2019
Awards & Honors:
Member, Alpha Sigma Nu Jesuit Honor Society
Member, Tau Sigma Honor Society
Alfie Scholars, Cohort 6, 2021–2023
Merit Scholarship
KCNA Scholarship
President’s Honor Roll, Highline College
Vice President’s Honor Roll, Highline College
Serah’s Story
I am an immigrant and first-generation college student; I grew up in a slum in Mombasa, Kenya. Like all major cities in Kenya, Mombasa has slum areas, and that is the place I called home. Growing up in such an environment was quite challenging, the gravity of the situation being that I never had an opportunity to put on shoes until I was in grade 7 and used only one pair of uniforms from grade five to grade eight. While it was hard to survive, leave alone succeeding in such a harsh and destitute environment for both genders, it was harder for the girl-child, like me. As a girl-child, one would face the risks of being subjected to retrogressive cultural practices such as FGM and early child marriages. Most of my female classmates got married when they were barely 16 years old as marriage was seen as a solace and a source of comfort; life in the slums was almost unbearable. Truancy in school was also a threat to a girl-child’s education since most girls at puberty could not afford sanitary pads; it was too expensive for poor girls like myself.
My mother supported me and my four siblings by working as a casual laborer washing other people’s clothes and cleaning houses in a nearby estate. Looking back, it is her love, resilience, hope, and her admiration for education that has been my constant drive to succeed in life.
I had passed exemplary in my Kenya Certificate of Primary Exams but was forced to stay at home as my parent could not secure my high school fees. A ray of hope shone when one day a tourist lady offered to see me through my high school education. With her invaluable financial support, I got the chance to attend a national school in Kenya, one which admits the best students from all over the country. I was given a leadership role, as an academics captain, a role that was reserved for the best performing students in their final year of school. Upon completing my high school education, I started working with medical insurance and training facilities, where I received relevant skills and knowledge that I continue to use in my journey as a nurse. Importantly, I acquired leadership skills from the leadership positions that I occupied.
My success journey has been an inspiration to me to always give back to the community; after all, I have received so much from it, for instance, my coming to America with the help of someone I never knew, pursuing my college and degree in Nursing at Highline Community College, then Seattle University through the help of Trio Support and Alfie scholarship among many others. My desire to be a nurse was driven by the experience I had when growing up in the slums with no medical services, no food, poor hygiene, and violence and crime. I have been so fortunate that I overcame all that, and I believe this will enable me to give it back to my community and serve as a good example and inspiration to those who are facing similar obstacles and challenges in life.
I intend to use opportunities and academic skills that I am gaining to help others improve their lives, including their access to healthcare services. I will use my leadership skills to empower women who are undergoing domestic violence and advocate the end of FGM in the community, hoping to mentor young people to work towards their dreams and improve the living standards of their community.
Advice to someone in high school or community college who aspires to attend a university.
We all face challenges in life; don’t allow them to overshadow your vision and aspirations. I know this journey is bitter now, but the fruits are sweet. Always remember the seven rules of life: Always smile, be kind, don’t give up, don’t compare, avoid negativity, make peace with your past, and take care of your body and mind.
Goals:
I hope to become an ICU or Oncology nurse so that I will be in the position to care for the lives of my patients and assist in their recovery. Growing up in Kenya, I saw many lives impacted by domestic violence, incurable disease, treatable ailments, the loss of mothers and babies at childbirth. How could I bear witness to these tragedies and do nothing? Medical care is not easily accessible from humble backgrounds; healthcare professionals are few and far between. I hope to return to my home country, Kenya, as a nurse so that I can fill the need where it feels closest to my heart. Ultimately, I plan to start my own nursing consultation service after post-graduate studies that will be a mentorship hub for junior nurses and young people aspiring to be nurses. By breaking down the barriers in how one becomes a nurse, my home in Kenya will see an increase healthcare professionals and hopefully a reduced death rate .I will be part of making healthcare accessible to the less fortunate in my home communities as globally accredited nurse. I would love to have this school be part of my journey to making that reality both for me and my home.
On Civility:
To me, civility means the use of tact when dealing with others in a genuine and reciprocal expression of respect for ourselves and other people through our actions, statement, and an extension of emotional intelligence. It implies that one subscribes to a set of morals that guides them. Such values allow a person to have principles hence binding them to civility. People who foster civility have personal values that define their civility and demonstrate civility when it does favor others even when the odds are against them. In general, civility is the act of being polite and fair with other people, treating them equally the same.
