NW Valley Times

Jacqueline Nyakoe, a native of Kenya, arrived at the Grand Canyon University campus two hours before her graduation ceremony. Accompanied by her family, all dressed in "GCU" attire, she took a moment to explain to her children Ryan, 13, and Tahillah, 10, the significance of this milestone.

“I have done this because I want to make your life better. I want you to be happy and see you graduate – even get your Ph.D.,” she said as she prepared to accept her bachelor’s degree in nursing.

Nyakoe's journey has been anything but easy. Raised as the ninth of ten children in a rural Kenyan family without electricity, she studied by burning strips of cloth soaked in kerosene for light. After her mother's death, her older sister Sabina Kerubo raised her and worked tirelessly to ensure that Nyakoe could attend school.

Despite facing many challenges including poverty and lack of resources during high school, Nyakoe remained determined. She walked long distances to buy doughnuts wholesale which she would then sell to students during break time.

Nyakoe was one of the 23,600 students from across the world who graduated this spring from GCU after studying online or in cohorts. Despite all odds, she knew what she wanted and persevered towards it.

Initially aspiring to be a doctor but unable to secure admission for medical studies in Kenya, Nyakoe considered nursing as a "low-grade job". However, after getting accepted into a nursing school and starting her training there, she quickly realized that nurses were more than just bedpan collectors.

After earning an associate’s degree and beginning work as a nurse while raising two young children with her husband Patrick, Nyakoe developed a passion for nursing. “What I believed about nursing was not true. It’s all about compassion and serving people who are wounded and going through suffering," she said.

The family moved to the U.S. in 2022, and Nyakoe began working at a rural hospital in Texas with dreams of furthering her education with a bachelor’s degree. Despite facing financial setbacks due to a car accident and illness, she eventually enrolled at GCU, taking double the workload of online classes while continuing to work.

Nyakoe’s journey is not just about her own achievement but also about setting an example for her children. “I don’t want them to go through what I went through,” she said. “But things don’t come easy. You have to pray for them.”