Rebecca Otieno: From Siaya To Working At Churchill Downs, Home Of America’s Famous Kentucky Derby
Nyanza Province has produced its fair share of professionals, and Rebecca Otieno is one of them.
Rebecca, who lives in America, works as a Consumer Sales Representative at Churchill Downs Racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky.
She secured a full-time job at the prestigious institution in June 2026 after working her way up from an internship.
Rebecca hails from a family of Kenyan academics who relocated to the United States in search of better educational and professional opportunities.
Her father, Dr. Tom Otieno, is an academic at Eastern Kentucky University. Her mother, Dr. Iddah Aoko Otieno, is also an educator at Bluegrass Community and Technical College.
Mr Tom traces his roots to Ugenya Kager in Siaya County, while Dr Iddah originates from Uyoma Katwenga, also in Siaya.
Rebecca grew up in the United States alongside her two brothers, Ephraim and Christopher Otieno.
She attended Model Laboratory School in Richmond, Kentucky, where she graduated in 2022.
From there, she enrolled at the University of Louisville to pursue a Bachelor of Business Administration with a minor in Marketing.
In May 2026, she graduated magna cum laude with an impressive cumulative GPA of 3.893.
During her graduation, Rebecca was also awarded a certificate in Peace, Justice, and Conflict Transformation.
During her university days, she was recognized as a Martin Luther King Jr. Scholar, Woodford R. Porter Scholar, and Dean’s Scholar every semester.
Additionally, she participated in the University’s Honors Program.
Currently, she is pursuing a Master of Business Administration at Eastern Kentucky University.
How Rebecca Otieno Landed a Job at Churchill Downs
Rebecca got the opportunity to join Churchill Downs during a career fair at the University of Louisville.
It was there that she learned about the Ed Brown Society, an organization that provides educational and employment opportunities for young professionals interested in the horse-racing industry.
Rebecca applied to the organization’s scholarship program, and she was lucky enough to secure a marketing internship at Churchill Downs in June 2025.
During her internship, she was introduced to the world of marketing research, business partnerships, and the commercial operations of the famous racetrack.
Churchill Downs was so impressed by her performance that the company decided to extend her internship until September 2025.
In February 2026, she was made a part-time employee in the company’s Marketing Partnerships Department.
Her work was to conduct research and support social media initiatives ahead of the 152nd Kentucky Derby.
Four months later, she landed a full-time position as the company’s Consumer Sales Representative.
The Ephraim Otieno Foundation
Rebecca’s elder brother, Dr. Ephraim Ochieng Otieno, passed away in a road accident in Louisville on December 8, 2025, aged just 28.
He had been a student at Model Laboratory School before joining the University of Louisville.
He graduated from medical school in 2024 and began working as an internal medicine resident physician at the University of Louisville Hospital.
Ochieng’ was also a talented basketball player who scored a school-record 1,789 career points.
Following his death, he was posthumously inducted into the Model Laboratory School Athletic Hall of Fame in January 2026.
To commemorate him, Rebecca’s family established the Ephraim Ochieng Otieno, M.D. Science Foundation.
The organization was launched on January 1, 2026, with the goal of continuing Ephraim’s dream of expanding science and health education in Kenya and the United States.
The foundation also supports STEM education, academic excellence, mentorship, and youth athletics.
