Kenyan Teacher Quits Her Job at Alliance High After Landing Another Job Abroad

A Kenyan teacher who spent nine years at Alliance Girls High School has secured a Grade Seven mathematics position in the United States and has now shared how she made the move.

Jane Wambui, a mother of three boys, first joined Alliance Girls in 2015 for her teaching practice while studying at the University of Nairobi.

After graduating on September 2, 2016, she got an interview call from the school’s head of department within days and joined the staff by the end of the month.

She later obtained her Teachers Service Commission (TSC) registration and served as a maths and scouting teacher, a role that took her to the UK twice for a jamboree in Kent.

The idea of teaching abroad came from a friend in South Carolina, who shared information about opportunities on Facebook.

Jane applied through an agency on December 5, 2024, while on maternity leave and dealing with a newborn and the time difference between Kenya and the US.

At one point she nearly gave up after being handed a 30-day ultimatum to submit outstanding documents. She completed a foreign credential evaluation, recorded a demonstration lesson with help from her brother-in-law over Christmas, and sat a principal interview on July 8, 2025.

She came to the US on a J-1 exchange visa, which allows stays of up to three years, extendable to five, and lets family members join.

Now based in the Bay Area, Jane told Mkenya Marekani that she was struck by how many ways students solve a single maths problem, sometimes four for one question.

She also found joy in meeting a Kenyan child in her class and uses her students’ surprise that Kenya has PlayStation 5 consoles and pet dogs as informal cultural lessons.

She said she had to learn patience when students questioned her directly and laughed at her accent. By setting firm rules on respectful communication, she won them over, and the vice-principal told her pupils looked forward to her lessons.

Her advice to Kenyan teachers is to be themselves in interviews, finish the paperwork however overwhelming it feels, and build real relationships outside the classroom.

Source; https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CNam1Jw95/

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