Kenyan Student Overcomes Cancer Diagnosis and University Dropout to Earn United States Student Visa

Harrison Gitau, a Nakuru man who dropped out of university after a cancer diagnosis, overcomes adversity to secure a visa for study at Grand Valley State University.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 16, 2026, 4:55 AM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from TUKO.co.ke

Overcoming a Life-Altering Health Crisis

Harrison Gitau, a resilient young man from Kirangi Village in Molo, Nakuru County, has fundamentally rewritten his academic and personal trajectory after facing an arduous battle with cancer. Initially setting his sights on higher education, Harrison gained admission to Maseno University in 2013 to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences after achieving a strong B+ on his secondary school exams. However, midway through his studies, a sudden cancer diagnosis derailed his plans, necessitating specialized medical treatment and forcing him to abandon his degree program, which fundamentally interrupted his educational path.

A Detour Through Domestic Medical Training

Undeterred by his significant health setback, Harrison began the painstaking process of rebuilding his career once his health had stabilized. According to him, he chose to leverage his interest in the biological sciences by pursuing a Diploma in Medical Imaging Sciences at Kenya Medical Training College’s Nyeri Campus, from which he graduated in 2022. This qualification enabled him to secure stable employment as a medical imaging technician at Naivasha County Referral Hospital, working under the jurisdiction of the Nakuru County Government, which provided professional stability but did not fully satisfy his desire for advancement.

Strategic Career Counseling and International Ambition

Feeling that his professional growth was static despite his stability, Harrison sought to further his education and expand his career horizons in 2023. Through structured career advisory programs, he was introduced to the specialized fields of Health Informatics and Bioinformatics, which seamlessly aligned with both his foundational knowledge in biomedicine and his clinical experience in medical imaging. With new goal clarity, he initiated applications to several prestigious institutions, ultimately receiving letters of admission from both Grand Valley State University and the University of Delaware for advanced study.