On the Road to Becoming Faculty

Luther Mukanga came to Northrise University in Semester 2 2015 as an ordinary freshman at Caravelle House. Two years into Law School, his career took a turn which in his wildest dreams, could never have been anticipated. Northrise was looking to invest in 2 students that wanted to study Engineering as part of its long-term strategic goal of developing faculty for its future School of Engineering. Luther applied, qualified, and was ready to go far. A few weeks later, he arrived at Dordt University in the US to begin a new university journey and a career in civil engineering.

After completing 4 years of his undergraduate program, Luther returned to Northrise in 2021 to continue on his career path of becoming a Northrise University School of Engineering faculty member.  So he enrolled with the University of Zambia and will be commencing his Master of Engineering in Construction Management program as part of the February 2022 cohort.  To describe his experience, Luther says,

“American culture is not strange to a lot of people but going to study and live in America was a completely different experience for me. I attended university in Northwest Iowa where the sun was shining but the temperature would be below freezing and I can’t find “real vegetables” but had to settle for Asparagus and Brussel sprouts. It suddenly dawned on me that having a conversation in Bemba and referencing an Apple Max advert had become a privilege.

Going to study in the United States completely changed my outlook on life. Attending school in one of the most technologically and academically advanced societies is unmatched and getting into the rhythm of consistent homework week over week certainly was no small feat. One of the things I noticed is that Schools in America reinforce effective time management and deadlines, skills that become a huge part of life in the workplace. During my studies, I was privileged to work for an engineering company in Houston called JTAM Engineering; it was eye-opening. In undergraduate studies, we do not take collaboration and being able to work in a team as essential skills for success in the workplace.

People often talk about experiences that changed their lives, this is that story for me. I have always been a dreamer, exploring ideas and possibilities in my head and penning them down. But never did I imagine that I would find myself in Times Square New York looking at Adele’s 30 being advertised on the screens for November 30, 2021. My life has forever been changed by the education I received both from Northrise in those two years of studying law and Dordt in engineering, the friends I met, and the oysters I ate reluctantly under immense peer pressure.

It is often said that the benefit of travel does not just lie in the broadening of the mind but that it teaches you a lot about your own culture. Living in a different country certainly gave me a deep appreciation of who I am and where I come from. The journey continues as the ending of one chapter is the beginning of another.

I enrolled at the University of Zambia where I will be pursuing my Master’s degree in Construction Management starting in the next couple of weeks. It has been a great privilege being part of Northrise in this way, and I am excited to see what God has planned for me yet on this journey.”