When Kon Lual Ajok and Ian Mwadiloh sat for their KCSE examinations as part of Nova Pioneer’s Class of 2025, they were not just preparing to pass exams. They were also building a solution to a real-world governance challenge, one that has now placed them on the global stage.
The two alumni from Nova Pioneer Eldoret Boys Campus emerged as the overall winners of the Young Scientist Kenya 2025 competition, beating teams from across the country with their innovation, Afronomy Chain. Both students scored A- in KCSE, demonstrating that academic excellence and innovation can go hand in hand.
This January, Kon and Ian represented Kenya in Ireland at the Stripe Young Scientists & Technology Exhibition, marking a major international milestone for the young men.
Innovation Born in the Classroom
Afronomy Chain is a blockchain-powered government services platform designed to ensure transparency, immutable records, and public accountability for public transactions. What makes the project remarkable is not just its technical sophistication but where it began.
The idea was developed during Nova Pioneer’s Innovation and Leadership programme, which is deliberately integrated into both the Competency-Based Education (CBE) and Cambridge curricula offered by the school.
“At Nova Pioneer, innovation is not an extracurricular activity, it is part of how learning happens. Students apply what they are learning in class to real problems facing society,” said Dr. London Moore, Nova Pioneer’s Senior Director of Schools..
Through structured innovation sprints, design thinking, and leadership coaching, students are guided to connect core curriculum content such as mathematics, sciences, humanities, and digital literacy with real-world application.
Bridging CBE, Cambridge, and Real-World Skills
Nova Pioneer intentionally runs both CBE and Cambridge pathways, while maintaining a unified philosophy: education must prepare students for a world that does not yet exist.
Rather than treating special programmes as add-ons, the school integrates them into core learning.
“Whether a student is on the CBE or Cambridge pathway, they go through the same innovation and leadership experiences. This ensures that all students develop problem-solving, ethical leadership, and global citizenship alongside academic mastery,” explained Hillary Tum, Principal at Nova Pioneer’s Eldoret Boys Campus.
For Kon and Ian, this approach made all the difference.
“We were encouraged to think beyond grades and ask, ‘What problem are we solving? Afronomy Chain came from that mindset; using what we learn in school to create impact,” said Kon Lual Ajok.
“The Innovation and Leadership classes helped us turn an idea into something practical. We learned how to research, test, refine, and present our solution confidently,” Ian Mwadiloh added.
Beyond Exam: Preparing Global Citizens
While many schools focus almost exclusively on exam outcomes, Nova Pioneer deliberately invests in additional programmes that prepare students for leadership, entrepreneurship, and global relevance.
The success of Kon and Ian illustrates the power of this model. Their KCSE results reflect academic rigour, while their international recognition highlights skills that traditional schooling alone rarely produces; critical thinking, collaboration, and solution-driven leadership.
“Academic excellence is important, but it is not enough on its own. Our goal is to develop students who can apply knowledge, lead with integrity, and compete globally,” said Andrew Meraba, Principal at Nova Pioneer’s Tatu City Boys campus.
Setting a New Standard for Education in Kenya
Kon Lual Ajok and Ian Mwadiloh’s journey reflects a broader shift in what education can and should be.
Nova Pioneer’s integrated approach that combines strong academics, innovation, and leadership development across both CBE and Cambridge pathways is redefining what it means to prepare students for the future.
