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Tell us about yourself.
A lot of people don’t know that I wasn’t born in the United States. I was actually born in Kenya in East Africa. I moved here when I was about 6 years old. Growing up, it was just me and my family trying to figure out how the United States worked. It was hard at first but it became easier as time went by. I’m able to speak three languages (Swahili, my mother’s tribal language, and English), which is cool.
We moved from Africa to Des Moines, Iowa. That’s where I spent most of my youth. I grew up with a core group of friends that I’m still close with today. When I was younger I didn’t really play sports because, you know, coming from Africa all they really had was soccer. I came to America and realized that I had options now.
What was it like growing up in Kenya?
Growing up in Africa was hard—like, you’re walking to school with no shoes, you don’t have a backpack, and the books that you do have are carried by hand. You have to walk through rocks and puddles. We only had one uniform for the year. It was ripped up and dirty because we had to wear it every day. We didn’t have access to a washing machine—everything was hand-washed and hung. It was a struggle. The place I came from was the capital of Kenya, Nairobi. Houses were right next to each other and everything was compact. It’s hard to explain unless you look it up and see for yourself. It’s something that you just want to forget but also something that makes you stronger and more grateful. I’m here now.
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How did your family land in Iowa? 
My family was hosted by another family. The family knew my grandparents and took us in. Community is a big thing in Africa that goes across borders. When you come to the United States from Kenya, you’re coming with Kenyan shillings which is like nothing compared to the U.S. Dollar. When you convert it, it’s not a lot of money. 1 Kenyan shilling in America is worth $0.0082. They hosted us for a while until we could get on our feet and my parents could find jobs. We were with them for 2-3 years. We’re still close to that family. They don’t live in Iowa anymore, they moved to Dallas, Texas. We call and reach out all the time. We’ve even gone down to visit them. It’s always nice seeing them.
What brought you to Rochester?
It was a big process. In middle school, I started running track and playing football. I was a lot better at track than I was at football. I placed at state three years in a row then got injured. I went on to play football from freshman year all the way until my senior year. I ended up going to Iowa Central for football and graduating with my AA. I decided I wanted to move and play football somewhere else. I first went to the University of Dubuque but didn’t see myself playing there so I decided to go ahead and reach out to my friends and start looking for new schools. RCTC wanted me. I’ve been here since January.
What’s next for you? 
I’m leaving Rochester. I love football with all my heart. I’m just hoping I can play this sport that I love so much for as long as I can and for as long as my body will let me. I’m talking to a few schools. I currently have two offers that I’m considering in Indiana and Virginia.
How do you show up for the people that you care about? 
By being there. I’m passionate about my friends. Building those connections and finding out what they’re going through in life and sharing what I’m going through is important. We find ways to help each other become better. We’re in college and it’s hard. I have a car but have friends that don’t. It’s all about figuring out what you have and how you can share it with others. It’s all those little actions that lead up to real friendship. It’s important. That’s how we support each other.
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Aren’t those the best kinds of friendships? Friendships with no “I owe yous.” Just doing things for people because you genuinely care about them. 
Exactly. It’s a genuine friendship. It’s something that I always joke about with my friend Keshawn. When we get old, we’re still going to be friends. We’re going to be old people rocking on a porch and cracking jokes. Lifelong friends.
Who did you look up to growing up?
Tre Fugate, a friend of mine since I moved to the U.S. A little bit about my friend—he came from a very tough life. He didn’t have much. Because of the way I grew up, I could relate to him. He has always been ambitious. His passion, drive, and commitment for everything in life inspires me. I look up to him because he can do anything. And if he can, I can.
If there was a headline about you in five years, what would it say? 
“Lawrence Weru opens his first Fortune 500 company.” I want to get into property management. I want to own property. I’m going to get there one day.
You were recently matched with a Mayo mentor. How is that going? 
My mentor is Joe Dudas. He’s a great guy. When he met with me he opened up and let me know everything that I need to know. We barely know each other, but he already tells me how proud he is of me which means a lot. When we had our first meeting, he said that he would offer as much as he could to be there and support me as I figure out what career I want to go into. He’s opening doors for me.
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What are you doing today that is helping you prepare for the next phase of your life?
You know, the biggest thing is connections. Project Legacy, that’s a connection. Joe Dudas at Mayo Clinic, that’s a connection. My friends, that’s a connection. Something that my mentor Joe taught me is that connections matter. The most successful business people have great and meaningful connections. I hope to continue building with people that can help take me to the next level. Hopefully, I can help them too.
When people read this, what do you hope their takeaway will be? 
That’s Lawrence Weru. From nothing to something.
You’ve always been something Lawrence. Thanks for sharing your story with all of us. 
This interview is part of the Building a Legacy series by Alysha Carlisle and Mackenzie Rutherford, highlighting Rochester’s youth of color.
About the authors:
Mackenzie Rutherford is a native of Rochester and a graduate of Rochester John Marshall High School. She spent her recent years attaining her B.A. at Scripps College in Claremont, California, and her M.S. at SOAS University of London. She is a staff member at Project Legacy and a freelance Social Media Strategist. 
Alysha Carlisle is originally from Oakland, Calif. She graduated with her BSW in 2021 and now serves as a social worker at Project Legacy and a research coordinator at Mayo Clinic.

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