Nyatta joked about the reactions of his family and friends.

“Some friends in New York were a little too glee-filled about my being sent away to England for two years,” he said.  

His interest in his native country, coupled with his interest in the arts, compelled him to apply for the scholarship, Nyatta said, noting that he “wanted to ask questions about [development and identity] in conversation with other students and at a place where I felt I would be challenged.”

Nyatta said he plans to study cultural anthropology at Oxford—more specifically, he hopes to explore the changing role of literature, music and film in post-colonial societies as well as “the role of the arts that these industries produce in reflecting and shaping issues of identity and nationalism.”

Nyatta, who currently works for McKinsey and Company in New York City, hopes to become a musician. In his spare time, he performs and records music.