On 19–20 September 2025, Strathmore University Mentoring Services Office hosted its annual Mentoring Summit, bringing together mentors, educators, and thought leaders under the bold theme “Shaping Long-Term Well-being: How We Missed What Young People Really Need?” The atmosphere was bigger than one campus, this was a collective search for answers to questions that matter.
The theme struck a deep chord. The summit was not simply another conference; it was a mirror. What does it mean to mentor in today’s world, where identity shifts with each environment? How can mentors offer guidance while leaving space for students to grow? The conversations reimagined mentorship as a labor of love, rooted in care, not control.
Developmental Milestones
The opening session, “The Journey to Adulthood: Developmental Milestones”, explored how growth is as much relational as it is biological. Dr. Marion Mutwiri-Mwangi of USIU explained that no one grows alone; each stage of life builds on the last through shared, valued relationships. At the university stage, “emerging adulthood”, students balance identity, responsibility, and belonging.
Hon. Justice Jackie Kibosia added a sober reminder: neglect during these stages has lifelong consequences. “Every child comes with their uniqueness,” she said. “To catch them, you must catch up to them.” The discussion also revisited parenting models: parents shift from Commanders-in-Chief (0–6 years), to Coaches (6–12), to Counsellors (12–18), and finally to Consultants (18+). As Thomas Mundia emphasized: “Today’s students don’t need commanders; they need consultants.” This struck home: mentorship at the university stage is not about instructions, but about respectful guidance.
A second major theme was the future of education. Dr. Alfred Kitawi, Director of the Centre for Research in Education, used a striking metaphor: pouring water into two glasses, one still and one moving. The still glass represented the static 8-4-4 system; the moving one, Competency-Based Education (CBE). Students, he argued, are no longer empty vessels to be filled but explorers shaping learning around their unique gifts.
Yet challenges remain, inadequate teacher training, overloaded curricula, and limited infrastructure. For Strathmore, the takeaway was clear: mentorship must evolve alongside education, equipping students with both competence (skills for the world) and competency (their own unique potential). Vice Chancellor Dr. Vincent Ogutu deepened this reflection, recalling his mentor Robert Corner’s words: “I am your corner.” For him, mentorship is about affirming uniqueness, not imposing agendas. “Your mentees are not you,” he reminded. “Approach mentorship as discovery.”
Technology, Identity, and Materialism
Day 2 began with a provocative panel on “The Rise of Tech and the Race to the Bottom.” Ian Wairua noted how AI can personalize education beyond the one-size-fits-all classroom, while Dr. Lucy Muturi raised questions on identity in increasingly immersive digital spaces. The challenge remains: translating adoption into real impact.
Few sessions resonated as strongly as Prof. Anne Muigai’s keynote on materialism. She warned that success often masks disconnection. “Materialism is not about money alone,” she said. “It is about replacing people with things.” Overemphasis on grades, sports, or status risks raising emotionally detached children who later form detached families. Her call: a return to humanity authentic connections, spirituality, and relationships above possessions.
The final roundtable, “Career Growth vs. Mentorship,” reinforced mentorship as more than professional development. “There is joy in leaving someone better than you found them,” reflected Dr. Caesar Mwangi, Executive Dean of Strathmore Business School. Dr. Jennifer Kentaro added: “Friendship and freedom go hand in hand: freedom to help mentees get where they could go, without forcing them.”
Closing Reflections
In closing, Dr. John Mutisya, Director of the Mentoring Services Office, emphasized the summit’s central image: the triangle of support, mentor, parent, and student. “This triangle must remain unbroken,” he said. “Each corner sustains the others. Parents bring the foundation, mentors offer guidance, and students must engage with openness.”
The 2025 Mentoring Summit closed not with answers, but with renewed commitment: to deeper conversations, to listening beyond academics, and to mentoring as a journey into identity, fears, aspirations, and meaning.
Article written by: Teresa Nekesa and Patricia Mbua
