I Was At The Bottom Of My Class, Gladys Shollei Opens Up On Her Struggles In School

• National Assembly Deputy Speaker Gladys Shollei advised students who failed to attain their targeted grades in the 2023 KCSE results not to lose hope
• Shollei narrated her being a D student but later outperforming other students and becoming an A candidate at the end of her fourth form at Moi Girls High School
• She urged students who failed to attain university grades to join TVET institutions or other colleges to further their learning and improve their grades

Nancy Odindo, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings more than three years of experience covering politics, news, and feature stories across digital and print media in Kenya.

National Assembly Deputy Speaker Gladys Shollei has advised 2023 KCSE candidates who have not achieved their targeted grades in the released results not to lose hope.

How did Gladys Shollei perform in her early schooling?

Sharing her plight, Shollei urged the students not to let the results define their future.

"When I did my CPE, I was at the bottom of my class; I had the lowest marks at Hills School Eldoret, that year. Totally at the bottom. In fact, I couldn't get a place at the secondary school. But because my sister was already at Loreto Convention School, the nuns decided to allow me to go to school just to keep us together, and by the time I finished at Loreto, I was at the top of my class," she revealed.

The Moi Girls alumna stated that when she joined the school, she was right at the top.

Shollei recalled being a C or D student when she started out but later managed to clinch the best grades at the end of her secondary education.

"So, I always tell young people that one result does not define you. I was always a C student, probably a D when I started, but I completed with a strong finish as a straight A student," she proceeded.

Gladys Shollei urges KNEC to be impartial

The Uasin Gishu woman representative urged the examination system to always be accommodative to all learners without eliminating some based on prior performance.

She urged students who scored below C to consider furthering their studies at the Technical and Vocational Training Centres to brighten their future.

"And for those students today who will receive their results, you may not be at the top; maybe you get the bottom mark. Remember, you have the opportunity to go to TVETs or join other colleges and eventually you might make your way to being a professor," she advised.

"And also for those people who will be at the top, I know a lot of people who finished at the top but because of indiscipline issues and because they became complacent, eventually they do not succeed in life. So at the end of the day, it is what you do and the decisions you make every single day as a young person along your journey in life," she advised.

Gladys Shollei wins National Assembly deputy speaker position

Shollei, a close ally of President William Ruto, was elected deputy speaker at the National Assembly after a tough contest with her colleague Farah Maalim, a supporter of the Azimio coalition.

She garnered 198 votes against Maalim, who secured second place with 139 votes.

Maalim conceded defeat after the duo failed to meet the 2/3 threshold