KENYA TEAM

This team is responsible for operational and administration
aspects of each scholarship student.

(paying school fees, boarding fees, food allowances, school uniforms, learning materials, exam fees, transportation, medical, and boarding students during school breaks.)

  • Paul Okiyah

    Scholarship Team

    Paul Okiyah graduated from Bondo Teachers Training College after studying English language, English literature, and Kiswahili. An accomplished teacher and head teacher, Paul started his career teaching on the secondary school level. Most notably, Paul taught at a multi-racial school which enrolled pupils from Europe, the United States, Asia, and other African countries. This was the only school of its kind in western Kenya. As headteacher of three primary schools, and most recently of Daylight School, Paul was required to live on campus. As head teacher, he was in charge of essentially every aspect of the schools, including hiring teachers, monitoring the food supplies, security, and medical needs. Paul has received several awards for excellent performance as a teacher. As the champion of the first year of the Mukusu Scholarship Program, Paul says this of his experience: “It’s been a good challenge handling some pupils who are orphans, vulnerable, and others who have known no love at all.”

    At his direction, Mukusu is giving mosquito netting to all students in the program and their families to help keep the malaria health crisis at bay. To the Mukusu program and the scholarship students, Paul is a super hero! Paul is married to Rose Mideva, a pastor with the Kenyan Assemblies of God Church and a community health promoter. Paul has three children.

  • Mercy Chemutai

    Scholarship Team

    Mercy Kogo is a vibrant Kenya Wonder Woman! She is an Information, Communication, and Technology (ICT) expert with a diploma from Rift Valley Technical Institute. Mercy’s passion for children’s welfare and well-being is fueled by her childhood experiences of poverty and lack of parental attention, care, and love. Fortunately, she was raised by a loving grandmother. Mercy is grateful to have received some scholarship funds so she could attend high school. She paid for college by working in a retail shop.

    Mercy got her start working in education at Daylight School as school secretary and the computer studies teacher. Other places she’s worked include Microsoft International, Smart Elimu Solutions, Rafiki Tech, and Crystal Technologies, all tech savvy companies. In 2012, Mercy started the “Mercy Angels Foundation” a philanthropic organization to help orphans and widows in Kenya. Her hobbies include farming, reading inspirational books, traveling, watching movies, cooking, and involvement in charity work. As a result of her upbringing, Mercy feels she is giving back by working for Mukusu, which has inspired her to pursue a degree in Social Work. She has one daughter.


U.S. TEAM

This team is responsible for fundraising.

  • Lori Hart

    Co-Chair

    Lori has been a U.S. Daylight Center and School board member since 2018. She is a Family Nurse Practitioner living in Minneapolis Minnesota.   Her areas of specialty are Pediatrics and International Travel and Tropical Medicine. Throughout her career she has enjoyed opportunities to practice in a variety of healthcare settings including volunteer work in Mexico, Haiti, Peru and Nepal. She has developed a passion for caring for and learning from her culturally diverse patients in the U.S. and abroad.

  • Rebecca Erickson

    Co-Chair

    Rebecca has been a member of the Daylight U.S. Board since 2016. She has worked at various fun and creative jobs, with her last one being in conference planning. As a member of First Presbyterian Church in Stillwater, Minnesota, she occasionally plays piano for worship, plays the bass bells in the handbell ensemble, and sometimes sings in the vocal choir. She lives in Stillwater, Minnesota.

  • Morris Miller

    Treasurer

    Morris Miller (Treasurer) joined the Daylight Center and School, Inc. (Daylight's) Board in March 2021.and has served as Finance Chair since joining the board.  He was nominated by his brother Mervin Miller, then the Board President.  Morris's duties include monitoring donor contributions and the appropriate distribution of those donor funds.  This primarily includes ensuring that distributions are in accordance with Minnesota State Law and Daylight's Articles of Incorporation.
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  • Merv Miller

    Board Member

    Merv Miller (Board Member) is a Minnesota native and Realtor with Edina Realty. Merv has always had a passion for serving the less fortunate.  That passion has led him to lead several faith based mission trips to Haiti and rural Belize with the goal of empowering local communities in regards to health and food sustainability while serving the vision for those goals through indigenous leadership. Merv lives in Maplewood with his wife Lisa. Together they love hanging out with their grandchildren, walking and biking paths in the area and travel to their favorite destination, southeastern Idaho.

  • Pat Irons-Roberts

    Board Member

    Pat is a retired Minnesotan with a passion for working with those needing assistance to achieve their goals and dreams. She worked for many years as an employment counselor with single mothers for non-profits. Her unique approach has always been wholistic in scope - finding employment for her clients was just the start. Pat lives in south Minneapolis with her husband Mike. Being a new grandmother to Frankie, Nathan’s son is a joy. She loves to travel, play pickleball, ride bike, and spend time with her friends.

  • Becca Mealey

    Director of Operations

    Becca lives in Rochester, Minnesota, and is is a retired school teacher who loves to learn! She especially enjoys helping others, and watching their life journeys! She has traveled to the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Venezuela, Belize, and New York with mission groups who work with local communities.