In the world of academics, receiving a Grade ‘E’ is often seen as a mark of failure, leading to the unfair perception that those who receive it have limited potential. Angela Wamola’s story, however, challenges this notion, proving that grades are not the defining factor of one’s future.
Today, Angela serves as the Head of Strategy and Planning at Safaricom, one of Africa’s leading telecommunications companies. Her success is a testament to the power of perseverance and a positive mindset, rising far above societal expectations.
A native of Nairobi, Angela openly describes herself as the “black sheep” of her family when it came to education. Struggling with subjects like Math and Physics, she took a surprising turn in Form Three. When it came time to select university courses, Angela, inspired by the perceived prestige of her engineer uncle, decided to pursue Civil Engineering at the University of Nairobi.
Her time at university was far from easy. With long hours of classes running from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Angela often found herself envious of friends who were enrolled in less demanding courses. The difficulty of subjects like pure Mathematics and Physics led her to consider dropping out. Yet, her determination and mindset proved to be the key to overcoming these challenges.
Despite being one of only six women in her class, Angela pushed through. By her third year, what once seemed insurmountable started to become more manageable. Reflecting on this period, she says, “From what I went through, I learnt that attitude could make or destroy you.”
After five years of hard work, Angela graduated in 1999 with a second-class upper honors degree in Civil Engineering. While her initial interest was in roads engineering, she quickly adapted to the demands of the job market, which led her to transition into IT-related fields.
Angela’s career took off when she joined Safaricom in 2011, beginning with IT support. Initially, her male colleagues doubted her abilities, but Angela’s resilience and skills soon proved them wrong. She broke through gender barriers, becoming the first senior woman in the leadership team of Safaricom’s core network planning and support department.
As her career progressed, Angela’s innovative thinking and work ethic earned her the position of Head of Strategy and Planning in Safaricom’s technology division. In this role, she played a crucial part in shaping the company’s core network, voice and data services, national backbone, and enterprise solutions.
Angela’s journey proves that academic setbacks do not define one’s potential. With the right attitude and perseverance, it’s possible to break barriers and achieve great success.
