When Bernard Mbithi walks across the stage at Freeman Coliseum on May 19 to receive his master’s degree in biology, it will mark the culmination of a journey that began nearly 10,000 miles away.
Born in rural Kenya, Mbithi grew up without indoor plumbing or electricity.
“My community had very limited resources,” he said. “We used firewood for cooking and fetched water from the river.”
Life was challenging, and it became even more so when Mbithi lost his father at just 14 years old. As the eldest of six children, he suddenly became the family’s patriarch, responsible for helping care for his siblings.
“That experience shaped my leadership, my discipline, and my sense of purpose,” he said.
That discipline and sense of purpose guided Mbithi to earn a bachelor’s degree and begin teaching high school biology and chemistry in Kenya. After 13 years in the classroom, he felt a growing desire to connect his teaching experience with scientific research.
“I wanted to become a full professor,” he said.
With aspirations of pursuing higher education in the United States, Mbithi applied to universities in California, Tennessee and Texas. A&M–San Antonio, he said, offered the strongest scholarship package.
The opportunity was life-changing, but by no means an easy decision. Accepting it meant leaving behind his wife and four children in Kenya. Still, he knew it was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to advance his education and create better opportunities for his family.
When Mbithi left Kenya in December 2023, it was his first time away from his hometown. He had never been on a plane before.
“It was a beautiful, breathtaking experience,” he said.
Adjusting to life in San Antonio, however, was not without its challenges. What helped most, he said, was the support of his advisor, Dr. Elizabeth Borda, associate professor in the Department of Natural Sciences.
With on-campus housing at capacity, Borda worked with Student Housing to help connect Mbithi with a family in the nearby VIDA community who offered him a place to live. Over time, he grew very close to his host family. They attend church together regularly, and they even helped fund a trip for him to visit his family in Kenya.
Mbithi soon built additional friendships and began to feel a strong sense of belonging at A&M–San Antonio. He was selected as the first Global Ambassador for the University’s International Students Organization, using his own experiences to support other international students navigating similar transitions.
He also enrolled in the University’s new Scientific Diving Course, co-taught by Borda. The course allows students to explore local lakes while learning the theoretical and practical skills needed to conduct biological and hydrological research using scuba techniques.
In addition to becoming a certified scuba diver, the experience sparked a fascination with marine organisms. Using DNA from different species, Mbithi studied how organisms are related and how they have evolved over time.
He incorporated this research into his thesis and presented it at the University’s Three Minute Thesis Competition, where he earned multiple honors over the years, including the People’s Choice Award, first place, and runner-up.
“That experience really boosted my confidence and motivated me to pursue my research even further,” he said.
After graduation, Mbithi plans to apply for teaching positions in several San Antonio-area school districts while continuing to explore research and academic opportunities, including pursuing a Ph.D.
“When I first came to San Antonio, it was a completely new world to me,” he said. “Now it feels like home. It’s an amazing place with amazing people, and if I get the opportunity, I would love to give back to the place that has truly changed my life.”