How Winnie Adipo Became a US Soldier After Four Rejections by KDF

As a young girl growing up in Kenya, Winnie Adipo had a single dream: to become a military officer. 

Every year, her father would take her to the annual fair in Mombasa where the colourful rides, tantalizing smells, and other attractions dazzled most children. But for Adipo, the highlight of the fair was always the sight of soldiers in their crisp uniforms, marching in perfect unison to the sound of the band. She yearned to join the Kenyan military but was denied on all of her 4 attempts. 

Finally, after earning her bachelor’s degree, Adipo spoke to a recruiter about becoming an officer. Although her dream of serving in the Kenyan military was not to be, she went on to enlist in the U.S. In 2016, Adipo’s journey to Luke Air Force Base in Arizona was a testament to her perseverance and determination. She attributes her success to the diverse experiences she gained from her background. 

Her cultural awareness began at a young age in Kenya, a country composed of 44 tribes with distinct languages and cultures. Her father hailed from a small coastal tribe called Mijikenda while her mother was from a large central tribe called Kikuyu. Adipo grew up in Mombasa, a Muslim community with a predominantly Arab population, unlike the rest of Kenya where Christianity is the dominant religion. 

Her family’s home lacked basic amenities such as water and electricity. As a result, she spent most of her childhood fetching water, doing laundry by hand, and playing with other children in the sand. Although her older siblings attended Christian schools, her academic performance entitled her to attend a predominantly Muslim high school nearby.

Growing up, Adipo was inspired by her mother’s work as a nurse but she couldn’t afford to pursue nursing education. Despite her excellent academic performance, she didn’t qualify for the government scholarship for nursing school. Adipo received scholarships for an alternative field of study and earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and communications in 2012. However, her dreams of becoming a nurse were reignited in 2015 when she received an email, mistakenly delivered as spam, informing her that she had been selected for the Diversity Visa Program. 

The program grants up to 50,000 immigrant visas each year to potential migrants from countries with low immigration rates to the United States, allowing Adipo to pursue her career aspirations. She later joined the medical wing of the force before levitating to the position of staff sergeant.