Born and raised in the rural community of Kalawa, Kenya, Gideon completed high school with a scholarship to Augustana Academy in Canton, South Dakota (1971). He went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Education (1975), Master of Arts in Guidance and Counseling (1976), Specialist Degree in Educational Psychology (1977), and a Doctorate in Higher Education (1986) — all from the University of South Dakota.
Gideon is a Senior Faculty of the William Glasser Institute of Choice Theory (2005) and worked in education and counseling for 44 years across Kenya and the United States. In 2021 he formally retired to dedicate himself fully to St. Joseph's Academy and the Kalawa Library and School Project.
"The pursuit of education has encompassed my whole life."