Alumni Keynote Speaker Brings A Global Education Perspective to Life

“The more we understand the world, the more voice we have in shaping it.”

These were the words of a young student of Kevin Murungi ’01, Director of Human Rights and Foreign Policy Programs at Global Kids, who returned to the College on April 9 to deliver the Spring Symposium’s annual keynote speech. In his speech, this theme of global understanding was highlighted as Murungi shared the story of his journey from Nairobi to Middlebury to his current work in Global Kids, a non-profit education organization, and the incredible stories that he is helping other students write for themselves.

Murungi began his lecture with a broad grin.

“I’m an educator, so I like to connect with my audience,” Murungi said.

Education was one of the driving forces in Murungi’s young life. He grew up in Nairobi, Kenya, “the best city in the world.” (“Where else can you see giraffes on the city skyline?”) Murungi’s parents and older siblings studied at American universities; international perspective was highly valued in his family.

Murungi headed to Middlebury with excitement, a feeling that was hardly dampered even when he was pulled aside in the U.S. airport for a “random” security check. This event would foreshadow the presence of social injustice in Murungi’s surroundings, as well as his eagerness to address it.

Initially, Murungi believed he would study biology, but three hours of lab per week convinced him otherwise. He turned, on a whim, to political science, and Introduction to Comparative Politics with Professor Emeritus of Political Science David Rosenberg soon became his favorite class.

Murungi recalled how this subject really struck a chord with him.

“I am a Kenyan, [from a country where] speaking up against social injustice was tantamount to speaking out against the ruling elite.”

Even then, though, the significance of a major in political science didn’t weigh heavily in his mind. It wasn’t until a light-hearted conversation with Rosenberg, in which Rosenberg suggested Murungi major in political science, that his life took an unalterable course towards political science and social justice.

One of Murungi’s strongest messages to students was to fully appreciate their advisors.

“Relationships with professors at Midd are critically important,” Murungi said. “Don’t take them for granted.”

His advisor, James Jermain Professor Emeritus of Political Economics and International Law Russell Leng ’60, taught Murungi’s favorite undergraduate course: International Law and Organization. The combination of theory in the classroom and social injustice in his home country spurred Murungi to engage in social activism at the College. He helped plan an annual African Symposium, which still occurs today.

Furthermore, when racial injustice surfaced in the Campus, he was at the forefront of protests against it. During one of his undergrad years, the paper published a racist ad featuring a picture of three black men with the title “Thugs, Gangsters, and Hoodlums.” The backlash was ferocious, and Murungi recalled how the ad “stirred in him a desire to face injustices.” Even in Vermont, he was made aware of “what it meant to be a black man in America.”

Murungi’s leadership at Global Kids since 2006 enables middle and high school students from underserved areas of New York City and Washington, D.C. to learn about international policy, participate in the democratic process, and become change-makers in their communities. Many of the students come from schools whose dropout rates are 50 to 60 percent, yet students who participate in Global Kids summer programs have a 96 percent college acceptance rate.

Additionally, at Global Kids students are expected to spread their knowledge within their communities. For example, students in NYC are at the forefront of a proposal to mandate elementary school climate change education.

In his lecture, Murungi imparted his deep admiration for the “cultural competence” of the students he works with. His proudest moment at Global Kids was taking five students to Kenya in 2009, where they assessed the role of youth in human rights campaigns.

After the speech, he shared that, at Global Kids, the point of departure is always the students and their stake in the projects.

“All I can do is...provide the tools for them to access their global citizenship,” he said, just like the College did for him.

Murungi’s story comes full circle; he inspired a Global Kids participant, Amosh Neupane ’18, to apply to and attend Middlebury. Neupane shared his admiration for Murungi and the positive impact of his GK summer building green roofs in NYC public schools.

“Global Kids was/is the perfect after-school program — a combination of an academic support group, a mentorship and college counseling program, and a stage for youth empowerment,” Neupane said. “Perhaps the most important thing I learned in Global Kids was to unbridle myself and face my fears with confidence. Mentors like Kevin guided me through this process of development.”

Other students were equally impressed with Murungi’s social work in an environment that engages kids and his humility in recounting the opportunities he provides to children.

“[His speech] had just the right amount of cliché, but it was also real,” Leo McElroy ’18 said.

“I had lunch with him, and he’s a very low-key, very comfortable guy,” Kyler Blodgett ’17 said.  “I’m glad he didn’t transform and button-up in his talk; he was the same relaxed guy.”