#8 - Charles Ndungu: Life in Kenya, Kindness, and a Path to Self-Discovery

Charles Ndungu was born in Kenya and moved to Evanston, IL for his dad's doctorate. After high school, he attended UIUC briefly and what came after was a journey to self-discovery.  Recently, he spent 8 years in Kenya where he reconnected to his roots, family, and values. Last year, Charles came back to Urbana-Champaign with a revitalized self and an unmatched desire to keep living.    Charles is known for spreading positivity in all aspects of his life, especially with his job as an MTD driver where he greets everyone with kindness and a smile on his face. OUTLINE: 0:00 - Introduction 0:34 - How we met 3:13 - Moving to Urbana-Champaign for the second time 6:28 - A quiet childhood 8:20 - Student stories on the Bus 9:40 - Studying at UIUC 12:07 - Culture shock as a Kenyan 18:38 - Favorite mistake 23:25 - Trusting/Building relationships 27:20 - How to develop self-confidence 32:38 - The love for one's mother 42:38 - Spreading Positivity 45:55 - Crime 52:10 - Charles 2024? 58:19 - Advice for young people 1:00:12 - How to stay true to yourself 🚥 Overrated or Underrated Section 🚥 1:04:40 - 🇰🇪 Kenyan Culture 1:07:22 - 🏫 UIUC 1:09:50 -  🥳 Parties 1:13:03 - Closing words SOCIAL: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uiuctalkshow Twitter: https://twitter.com/uiuctalkshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@uiuctalkshow Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3ezoc4xJa4DrGq7N4lhqQn Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-uiuc-talkshow/id1611427075  Full episodes playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1H9UJqXvJXr3qlx9c89Rv76c6IpnwGeC Clips playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1H9UJqXvJXqdyEq7fuyUz9cmpdfqN1Rb  What is The UIUC Talkshow? Our goal with this show is to introduce you to the most interesting people with the most interesting ideas from the UIUC campus. Learn more about Juan David & Aaryaman: Aaryaman LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaryaman-patel-779437205/  Juan David Website: https://www.juandavidcampolargo.com/   Twitter: https://twitter.com/jdcampolargo   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdcampolargo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jdcampolargo/