International Students and Scholars - Lewis & Clark

Davis United World College Scholar
Waterford Kamhlaba United World College of Southern Africa (Swaziland)

Rita Akoth Ombaka was born in Nakuru, a small town in Kenya. She is the third and last born of a family of five. At twelve, her family moved to Mombasa, a city located at the coast of Kenya. Her love for culture and biodiversity was born in this city where she had the chance to interact with Arabs, Somalis, Indians and Ethiopians. This rich multicultural heritage led her to gain interest in multilingualism and it is this passion that led her to enjoy her two years Waterford Kamhlaba, the United World College of Southern Africa for her A levels. The chance to interact and mingle with people from literally all over the world was like living her dream. Waterford molded and shaped her focus of multilingualism as she learned several languages and cultures, but it is the community service that made it her ambition to give back to the world that Waterford Kamhlaba UWC had given to her.

With this in mind, she started a youth group, Creativity Without Borders, that educates the youth on current affairs ranging from environmental issues, conflict resolution and HIV/AIDS through different languages and modes of expression such as sports, art, music and theatre. “I am ready for the world, and I do hope the world is ready for me” is her slogan. In addition to her love for composing and performing music, Rita adores poetry, theatre, photography and dance. She can take on anything really!

The Lewis & Clark community seems like the perfect environment to give her additional insight on what to expect as she pursues her dreams.   Rita has no doubt that she is not only going to have fun but achieve beyond her wildest dreams. The challenges are but a thrill.