The din of challenges, boundaries, and constraints dissipates when recent Upper School graduate Natalie Ochieng (US’25) enters a room. Despite navigating language barriers, cultural differences, and personal trials, Ochieng has emerged from her three years of Upper School with quiet strength and a powerful sense of accomplishment. Now, as a recipient of the prestigious GLOW award (Girls Leading the World), Ochieng’s light will emanate in new environments.
The 2025 GLOW Global Cohort, awarded through Women Empowering Nations, selects 100 women each year, ages 17–23, from around the world. Through its global initiative, GLOW provides worldwide exposure, comprehensive mentorship, development, coaching, and leadership to cultivate and prepare a generation of young women for roles that drive positive social impact on a global scale.
And this is where Ochieng’s light shines the brightest. Her GLOW involvement will be a launchpad for what she cares about most—global poverty. Through her Principia travels, and as a native of Kenya, Ochieng has seen the effects of poverty firsthand, “This is an opportunity to grow and amplify the work I care about the most,” she says. “I want to tackle poverty and be part of building systems that empower, not limit, people.”
This mission is certainly in capable hands—after all, “limitation” is not part of Ochieng’s vocabulary, as demonstrated by her other top honors this year. In addition to graduating cum laude, she also earned an esteemed and competitive full-ride QuestBridge National College Match scholarship to Washington and Lee University—a highly selective and top-ranked liberal arts institution.
Not only has Ochieng fully embraced her opportunities at Principia—excelling in academics, student leadership, and public speaking—she also served as the president of the International Students Club, where she took on the role of a self-proclaimed big sister. “As a president, I just love the fact that I can be a big sister to our international community. I know it's not easy being far from your family, but having a support system like Principia’s—with teachers and counselors supporting us every step of the way—is really important,” she says. “I feel accomplished to know that I played my part in enabling others to feel the same comfort that I feel at Principia.”
With a diploma in hand, a full-ride college scholarship, and the prestigious GLOW award, Ochieng is prepared to lead with vision and conviction. Guided by her personal creed— “We should never allow anything to limit us or allow our backgrounds to become a barrier. We are made to do great things and overcome limitations”—she embarks on the next step of her journey, ready and prepared to light up the world.