Festus Muema BScN- UON

" Nurse Festus Muthui Muema has applied for a position and I write this letter of recommendation on his behalf. It is always a great pleasure to promote the career of an outstanding young professional such as Festus and you will find my comments below very supportive.

I have known Festus for more than 12 years, since he was a new graduate of St. Aloysius Gonzaga Secondary School in Kibera, Kenya. He applied for a contractual university scholarship from my wife’s “Project Harambee”, a not-for-profit working in Kenya, and came highly recommended by Father Terry Charlton, S.J., and Mr. Thomas Nyawir, both of St. Aloysius school. Project Harambee, NFP, has also supported several of your nursing students there at CUEA.

After admission to the Nursing program at the University of Nairobi, Festus distinguished himself as an excellent student, as a volunteer in Project Harambee's education programs, and as a Founding Member of the Young Healthcare Professionals Association of Kenya (YHPAK) that was founded to facilitate networking of health student professionals in Kenya. Before the pandemic we attended his wedding in April 2019, in Kitui, Kenya. In addition to attending to the many details associated with his marriage ceremonies, Festus headed the planning and implementation of a free health clinic to members of the community supported by Project Harambee and his colleagues who volunteered their time and traveled from all parts of Kenya. This free medical clinic was one of six that Festus and his fellow students/graduates have conducted in disadvantaged communities in various parts of Kenya. We are now planning another free medical clinic in Kibera on our up-coming trip later this month

Festus can best be described as an energetic, highly motivated young man devoted to improving the well-being of his community and Kenya more broadly. Following his graduation from the University of Nairobi, while awaiting assignment to his residency, he started a community organization in Kitui as a co-op to pool resources for farmers getting crops to market.

Festus is a delightful, personable young man. He has natural skills in team building and eagerly accepts challenges placed before him. One example is his leadership of the Young Healthcare Professionals Association of Kenya for the last couple of years. His efforts in writing the constitution and getting approval through government organizations was notable.







In closing, I highly recommend Festus and expect he will continue to make his mark in health care and in society. In my 40+ years of teaching adult graduates, he rises easily in the top 5% in motivation, intelligence and personal interactions. I do not have any direct observations to share with you regarding his teaching but I can assure you again from my many years of working with young faculty and students in the field of human anatomy, nothing substitutes for strong motivation.

If further information is needed, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,




John A. McNulty, Ph.D., FAAA
Professor Emeritus
Loyola University Chicago
Stritch School of Medicine

jmcnulty@luc.edu

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