Nancy Muchina repeated Class 8 three times because her family could not afford secondary school fees, but she later qualified as a Boeing 737 cargo pilot in the United States with roughly 3,300 flight hours.

A community‑organised harambee raised KSh 15,000 to send her to secondary school, where she arrived with only a bar of soap and a few personal items.

Financial pressure forced her to transfer between schools, yet the headmistress at her final secondary school allowed her to sit the KCSE examinations despite unpaid fees, leaving her unable to collect her original certificates.

In 2014, while preparing for flight training in the United States, Muchina paid approximately KSh 150,000 to retrieve her original certificates, a requirement for admission to an aviation programme.

Before pursuing her own studies, she funded secondary‑school fees for seven nieces and nephews, ensuring they completed their education.

She enrolled at Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University in early 2026, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics, with intentions to continue to a master’s and possibly a PhD.

Muchina shared her journey in a Facebook post on 13 November 2026, urging a broader rethink of Kenya’s education system, which she says over‑emphasises exam performance at the expense of other talents.