Alumni Spotlight: Augustine Nhtenge (Class of 2016)
Augustine’s Story: Late-Night Kebabs, Kenyan Beats, and the RBC Spirit
There’s something quietly magical about returning to RBC, even if it’s through a screen. The buildings may look the same when you see them on a call, but you know you are not the same person who once rushed through those halls, balancing assignments and Winter Ball rehearsals, grabbing late-night kebabs with friends who became family.
For Augustine Nthenge (Class of 2016), RBC is still a place he returns to whenever he can, walking the familiar corridors that remind him of the days when Kenyan music filled the auditorium and conversations ran deep into the night. But even in an online conversation, it was clear: while life has moved forward, RBC’s spirit remains deep in him.
“I built that persistence muscle at RBC,” Augustine shared, remembering the four-hour chemistry blocks under the summer sun, and the teacher who once told him, “Everything that goes up must come down.” Years later, those words returned to him during moments of uncertainty, reminding him that the resilience built in him will carry him through the tough times one experiences throughout their life. At RBC, Augustine learned that service isn’t always about grand gestures. It’s in the small, daily acts of care: sharing music from home (e.g Sura Yako by Sauti Sol), offering a listening ear, sitting together late into the night to study or simply to be there for a friend who needed it. He learned to see the world not as distant headlines, but as someone’s beloved home, and to care deeply, even when it was hard.
These lessons have shaped Augustine’s path beyond RBC. They live in the way he connects with others, in how he approaches challenges with patience and perspective, and in his commitment to building community wherever he is. They are present in his quiet belief in the power of listening, of showing up, of choosing to care. “The RBC mission isn’t something you leave behind when you graduate,” Augustine says. “It’s something you carry into every room you walk into.” His reflections remind us that while the world can feel heavy, the lessons learned at RBC help carry that weight and transform it into purposeful action.
To all RBC alumni: your stories matter. They continue to shape this community, reminding us that the values we hold dear are not left behind at graduation, but are carried into every chapter you live. Thank you for being the bridge between what was and what can be, and for showing the world that the RBC spirit endures – one conversation, one act of service, one dance, one day at a time.
