When my friends agreed that I should deliver this speech today, I was honoured. Truly honoured. And then I sat down to actually write it, and I panicked. Because how do you sum up two to three years of sweat, excitement, and very mixed feelings into one speech? I’m still not completely sure. But here goes.

Distinguished guests, esteemed faculty, proud families and fellow graduates, good morning. I am proud to stand before you today as a member of the second cohort of Ashesi’s graduate programme; the Mechatronics Class of 2025.

Today, I want to talk about a journey. Not the kind with a clear map, or a straight road, or an obvious destination, no. The kind that begins with a leap of faith, winds through some very steep hills, that someway somehow, brings you exactly where you were meant to be. That journey is ours. And today, we celebrate how far it has brought us.

About three years ago, fourteen of us said yes to something bold. Yes, to an MSc in Mechatronics Engineering. Yes, to a collaboration between Ashesi University, an excellent Ghanaian institution that has continuously challenged the status quo, and ETH Zurich, one of the world’s leading universities in innovation. Yes, to a programme built with one explicit purpose: to develop engineers for Africa.

We spent that first year learning to gel. Overcoming our individual differences until we were no longer a collection of strangers, but a unit, people who could anticipate each other, and somehow survive the same impossible deadlines together.

And then year two arrived, and we became twenty-six. New faces and new individuals. To those who joined us in year two, yours was not an easy entry. You had a rocky start, and we won’t pretend otherwise. But something beautiful happened. The earlier group took up the challenge. We shared what little we understood. You showed us resilience we didn’t know we needed to see. And we all got closer than any of us ever thought we would. You didn’t just join a class. You completed us.

Yes, we have had the uplifting moments, but I would be dishonest if I only gave you the highlights. Because this journey had its downs. Honestly speaking, for every one of us, there were days when showing up felt like ascending the hills of Berekuso. But every morning, we got ready, mounted our steeds, and like warriors to battle, we ascended. And that alone felt like a victory. There were weeks when we were not just tired. We were exhausted without hope in sight because we had turned the rooms we planned to sleep in, into an extension of the classroom, equally fitted with a board and projector.

Still, the deepest lesson I take from this programme is not the formulas or theorems, or the functions and commands to read data from sensors. It is this: you are far more capable than you believe, but you only discover that by being pushed past what you think you can handle. But you don’t have to do it alone, and neither did we.

Prof. Angela Owusu-Ansah, you welcomed us with open arms, and even as Provost of this dignified university, those arms stayed open. Like the mother you promised to be. Thank you.

Prof. Nathan Amanquah, calm and collected in your iconic white shirt, as always. You have held firmly the mechatronics program. The support you gave us one course after the next, while juggling everything, we see it, we are amazed, and most importantly, we are grateful.

Dr. Mariette Martens, thank you for the coordination and the care from your end at ETH, and for a baton so gracefully passed to Dr Sewonyam Chachu, who carried us through to the finish line.

Antoinette, you have been patient. Oh yes, this we know. You were the first and the last contact for every course, every block, every year, and everywhere in between and after. Your dedication held us up in ways most people will never see. But we see it all of it. Thank you.

To the lecturers from Ashesi and ETH Zurich who flew in, From Zurich, to the humble town of Berekuso, to teach us. That was not just logistics. That was a statement. Your wealth of knowledge and personal experience brought life into every session. We may not remember every formula or every command, but we will carry your experiences forever.

To the pioneering class who came before us, last year, you wondered whether you had made an impact on those who followed, the way the 2005 pioneering class of Ashesi did. The answer is yes. All twenty-three of you were a beacon. There were moments mid-study when we would pause, look at each other, and someone would say: “Herh, wanna seniors dey form.” Then the echo: “Dem dey form.” You showed us the way. You are legends, and we salute you.

And to our families. We have made it this far on your prayers, your encouragement, your understanding, and your support. You were there with us every step of the way. This degree does not belong only to us. It belongs to you too.

Fellow graduates, as you leave this assembly today, you carry more than a degree. You carry years of sacrifice, sleepless nights, silent prayers, and unshakeable determination. You have earned this moment. But this moment is not the finish line. This is Ashesi.

The world you are stepping into will not always be easy. There will be days of doubt, seasons of uncertainty, and moments when the path ahead seems invisible. You may not always know which direction to turn, or whether the choices you make are the right ones. But hold on to this truth from the greatest parent and support, Jehovah, and carry it in your heart like a compass:

” For I well know the thoughts that I am thinking toward you, … thoughts of peace, and not of calamity, to give you a future and a hope.”

Your future is not left to chance. Go, therefore, boldly, relentless, and without fear. Dream without limits. Serve without conditions. Lead with conviction. We were fourteen. We became twenty-six. We were relentless. And we made it.
Congratulations, Class of 2025. [Thank you in multiple languages]