Growing up in Kenya inspired UW-Green Bay Distinguished Alumna to create change and pursue health-related career
Rita Owino (Human Biology, ’97)’s healthcare journey began with a childhood dream of going to medical school to become a doctor. Her desire was to alleviate the health-related suffering she witnessed on a regular basis when she was growing up in Nairobi, Kenya.
It was clinical rotations in a post-baccalaureate biotechnology program that steered her away from clinical settings, but toward a healthcare path that would allow her to still create value and deliver impact. She’s made a successful career of it.
For her efforts, her alma mater, UW-Green Bay, recognized her with a Distinguished Alumni Award in April of 2023. Her siblings, Dave (a Forbes business executive) and Peres (an award-winning Kenyan-American storyteller) were also honored with the distinction.
Choosing to attend UW-Green Bay for her undergraduate degree, she says, was “serendipity.”
“It all began with a random meeting between my mother and Prof. Richard Logan in Nairobi in the summer of 1994. During their conversation, she found out that he was a professor at UWGB. She told him about me who was at the time attending college in Sacramento, CA, and my sister, Peres, who had begun college in Kenya, and were both ready to transfer to different schools. In the summer of 1995, Peres and I traveled to Green Bay.”
She said UW-Green Bay prepared her for the career she had in mind, but also helped her to develop the skills necessary for success in the corporate world.
“Prof. Richard Logan played a pivotal role in my journey to UWGB. I will be forever grateful to him,” she says.
The real world for her, is as a healthcare executive and currently a consultant. In this capacity, she collaborates with a variety of clients, from startups to multinationals, to implement transformation initiatives by leveraging innovation to design new care delivery and business models aimed at improving access, quality of care, and outcomes for health systems and patients in emerging markets.
She provides unique insight and a bit of advice to those traversing college life and experience as an international student:
Q: What advice would you give to your younger self?
- Patience is a virtue – Anything good and worth having takes time to materialize. Trust the process, do not rush it.
- No one is coming to save you. You must be your own heroine.
- Find a good mentor early in your career and let her/him serve as a guide and role model.
Q: What’s your favorite college memory?
A: As an international student, I would say it was getting to meet other international students. During my time at UWGB, I was exposed to students from Serbia, Brazil, Tanzania, Mexico, among others. It was enlightening and enriching to share my UWGB experience with them as I learned about them as individuals, their motivations, their passions, and their cultures. This experience at a young age opened me to a world beyond my own and allowed me to understand, value, and respect diverse experiences and perspectives.
Q: What’s the biggest difference between college and the “real” world?
A: In college you have a safety net. Your parents or guardians are there whenever you need them to help you. From resolving a complicated situation to helping you navigate the college experience and life in general. In the real world, there is no safety net; you are responsible for your life. The decisions, mistakes, and the life choices you make are all yours and you must live with the consequences.
Q: What advice do you have for current college students?
A: I would give current college students three pieces of advice:
- Make the most out of this time: Get involved in extracurricular activities, meet new people, explore your interests, and be open to new ideas and experiences. College provides a wonderful opportunity for self-discovery, growth, and fun.
- Embrace failure as part of the learning process: Do not be afraid to fail. Use failure as a tool for growth and to build resilience.
- Build communities that amplify your strengths, challenge you to be and do better, and provide you with the support you need to achieve your goals.
Q: What do you wish you knew before you started college?
A: I wish I knew that there was more to college than studying and getting good grades and that it was possible to engage and participate in extracurricular activities without jeopardizing or compromising my academic performance. I spent most of my time at UWGB in class, studying, or working, and as a result, missed out on the “college experience.” If I could go back in time, I would allow myself to fully enjoy the experience.
Q: What is your favorite movie/book of all time?
A: My favorite movie is “The Usual Suspects.”
