“To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.
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Kiplangat Yegon was born and raised in Chebole, Bomet county. He was admitted to KenSAP in 2015, after which he proceeded to Lehigh University, on partial financial aid and partial athletic scholarship, to pursue his undergraduate education. Yegon graduated in 2020 with a double major in Global Studies and Religion Studies and a minor in Africana Studies. He is currently a graduate school student at the University of San Francisco pursuing a Master’s degree in International Studies.
Yegon’s story reads like something out of a motivational speaker script. When he was in his second year of high school, his father cut ties with the rest of his family and without his father’s financial support, Yegon could not afford to keep attending school. However, he was determined to find a way to finance his education. He knew that by Kenyan law, parents are required to pay for their children's’ schooling until they are 18 years old. Yegon decided to hold his father to his legal responsibility, took him to court, and won his case. But the time the court ruled in his favor, he was two years behind in school, with only one year left until he turned 18, the age at which his father wouldn’t be required to meet his education expenses. Faced with this predicament, the only real choice Yegon had was to fast-track it to senior year and self-study to catch up on lost time. That’s how, in three years, Yegon completed high school, earning an A- in the national secondary school exams. Although this in itself was a laudable feat, Yegon was disappointed. He had a bigger plan in mind, one that involved KenSAP, and he had been working to get the A grade that KenSAP required of its applicants. Again, he knew he had to fight to get a shot at showing he deserved a place in the prestigious college access program.
Yegon pleaded with John Manners, KenSAP’s director, to slot him in for an interview. By the time they were having this conversation, there was only one more interview day left, and John told Yegon he would be allowed to interview but only if he completed all the short answer questions on the application, submitted it online and made it to the interview by 4pm the next day. Yegon lived hundreds of miles from the interview venue, in a rural region where cyber cafes were few and far between and public transportation was unreliable at best. Truth be told, even while extending this offer, John didn’t actually expect Yegon to make it for the interview. Imagine his surprise when Yegon strutted in the next day, with his application turned in, ready to make his case. The next day, Yegon did not have athletic apparel to run in for the 1500m time trial component but he went ahead to sprint barefoot, and recorded the best time in his group. By pure grit, Yegon had proved himself once again and claimed his well-deserved spot at KenSAP.
IIt’s only been an upward trajectory from there. Yegon was determined to compete in Division I athletics while in college, and found Lehigh to be a natural fit, with its reputation for strong academics and a beautiful campus. He was accepted with full financial aid, partially athletic scholarship and partially need-based financial aid. Compared to other international students who have to work through difficult moments in college, culture shock and being away from home, Yegon had to also learn on the fly how to balance a tough academic schedule while running in a Division I program. Being on the cross country and track team meant that he had to constantly travel throughout the year. He had meetings during most of the weekends and this demanded a lot of preparation and time management.
Academically, Yegon was drawn to global studies, as well as religious studies, which piqued his interest after taking a class in his freshman year. He interned at the Lee Iacoca Summer internship in Accra, Ghana in the summer of 2018 where he got to deep-dive into the linkages between history, globalization, capitalism and health in Ghana. This led him to declare Global Studies and Religion Studies as his two majors, with a minor in Africana Studies.
While in college, Yegon also became the first male student-athlete from Lehigh to win a title in the ECAC/IC4A championship in steeplechase, and after his graduation last summer, he won the Global Studies Outstanding Contributions Award. This fall, he enrolled for graduate school at USF to attain a Master’s degree in International Studies. Despite two virtual semesters due to the worldwide pandemic, he is working hard, once again maximizing the opportunities available to him - and hopefully winning a few more track medals at USF while at it. Yegon hopes to venture into the non-profit world and work for an international NGO like the UN in the future.
Even with many challenges thrown his way, Yegon believes he has reached where he is now because of his determination and amazing support system. “I have had amazing friends, professors, coaches and teammates along the way who have proved to be of great help. I have also taken advantage of the various resources available in college, such as study abroad opportunities (Ghana, Costa Rica, Israel) which have helped to shape my worldview and broaden my understanding of cultures, people and the world in general.”
Yegon’s story continues to inspire many young students out there. He is living proof that you can be whatever you put your mind to. Yegon also mentioned that his biggest inspiration is his sister, Winny, who has had to overcome challenges to finally be a successful lawyer. While he’s not running, Yegon enjoys biking, reading and cooking.
