I am Starting Over
My name is Dr. Gitau Wairimu. I did not think I would be starting over at this stage of life.
But here I am-back in school, juggling two Master’s degrees, and on the verge of closing a $5 million business venture.
There are days when it all feels overwhelming.
And there are nights when I feel deeply hopeful.
It started with knowledge-or more accurately, the realization of how much I do not yet know. Every time I sit in a professional conversation-especially around big business or tech-I feel that gap. It challenges me. But it also drives me. I want to learn more. Understand more. Contribute more.
That is why I made the bold decision to go back to school. Today I am pursuing a dual Master’s in Data Science and Business Administration. My goal is to finish both by the end of next year. I know that is ambitious, maybe even too ambitious. But I am motivated by the belief that in a world where data and business shape almost everything-I do not want to be left behind.
At the same time, I am stepping into entrepreneurship. I am in the process of opening an assisted living facility in Georgia. The investment is over $5 million. It is huge. And yes-it worries me. But there is hope in it too. Hope that this facility will not just be profitable, but meaningful. That it will improve lives. That it will test and shape the kind of leader I want to be.
I have lived many versions of myself in many places.
I grew up in Karura, a small village in Kiambu, Kenya.
Kenya teaches you how to survive. How to adapt when things shift-socially, politically, personally. In Kenya we say: “we learn to move on.” That phrase carried me through some of life’s toughest moments.
Later I came to America. It is a completely different world-a melting pot of cultures, traditions, and identities that is always shifting. In contrast, countries in Asia and much of Europe tend to preserve deeply rooted traditions. That rootedness gives people a strong sense of belonging and predictability.
Each approach has its strengths and its flaws.
Rooted cultures give you stability, but they can be slow to change. Adaptive cultures embrace innovation-but they risk chaos.
I find myself somewhere in between-grateful for the resilience that comes with change, but drawn to the clarity that tradition provides.
If I could talk to my younger self, I would only say one thing: Time is priceless.
Time is free-but once it is gone, it never comes back.
The opportunities I missed in life were not about ability. They were about lost time.
Now I am intentional.
I take care of the seconds, so the minutes take care of themselves. That mindset pushes me to stay focused on my studies, my business, and my personal growth. No more delay.
My journey is built on five values.
Mental health. Faith. Knowledge. Family, and Protecting my peace.
I rest. I eat well. I avoid comparisons.
My Christian faith anchors me-even when I wrestle with contradictions in it.
I chase knowledge relentlessly, because wisdom lives in curiosity and persistence.
And I have learned that family is not just about blood-it is about the people who show up for you without being asked.
The ones who pray for you quietly.
Who mention your name in rooms full of opportunity-even when you are not there.
Now that I have entered my fourth floor-my forties-I carry fewer rocks.
I have stopped letting other people’s opinions define me.
I no longer carry the weight of their perceptions.
I walk lighter, with clarity about who I am and what matters most.
I am not defined by worry alone.
Nor by hope alone.
But by the resilience, adaptability, and hunger to learn that have shaped every chapter of my life.
In the end, I am still that boy from Karura who learned how to survive.
Still the man in America learning how to adapt.
Still the student, the builder, the believer.
And no matter how uncertain the world gets-I know there is always room to grow.
To contribute.
To make a lasting impact.
May the day break!
If this story speaks to you, I would love to hear yours. “May The Day Break” is a series capturing real people, real moments, and the lessons that shape us. If you would like to be featured, send me a message to info@awmagazine.org
