“If there is anything I’m going to miss, it is being able to sit with my classmates and other students, even freshmen, to discuss how we could transform our nation.” – Former student government law maker, and 2012 “Scholarship, Leadership, Citizenship” award winner, Bernard Nii Ghartey ’12, reflects on his time at Ashesi.
Bernard Ghartey was raised in a family of six, and is the second of four children. According to him, after he completed his business program at St. Augustine’s College in Cape Coast, his parents “rewarded” his hard work by allowing him to apply to Ashesi. At the time, Bernard was simply glad for the opportunity to be educated at what he says is a first rate university. He had no idea how much he was going to be remoulded in the next four years.
“I tried to be active in high school, even serving as President of the Debaters club. But in retrospect, much of my desire for encouraging change was dormant in those years. It was only truly revived during my stay at Ashesi. We hear about leading change a lot at Ashesi — almost to the point where it sometimes feels like a cliché — but my thinking was really reformed.”
However, Bernard admits that during his early semesters at Ashesi, he did not quite engage with or appreciate the vision of Ashesi.
“My style of studying at Ashesi may have been different from high school, but I studied for the same reason—to get excellent grades rather than expand my mind or engage my environment. However, during my first community service project in the Ashanti region in 2009, I saw how badly Ghana needed the minds of its people and I started thinking differently. I realised that I had to be able to help make things better and bring change – no matter how small.”
Bernard studied Management Information Systems at Ashesi, after he realised that even though he had strong interest in Business Management, he enjoyed working with computers. In 2010, with encouragement from his friends, he run for the office of President of the Judicial Executive Council – the law-making body for Ashesi’s student government. He has since become one of Ashesi’s most respected leaders.
“I ran for office, and was successfully voted into power in 2010. During my term, one of my major projects was around reinforcement of the Honor Code on campus. It wasn’t easy balancing my status as a student with my role as Head of the Judicial Council either. One of my biggest challenges was having to see my friends face tough verdicts at Council hearings. These were people I cared about, whose statements I still had to listen to without bias. It was some of my toughest moments during my four years at Ashesi.”
In his senior year, Bernard developed a database system for microfinance institutions, which he hopes can serve as the first step in making microfinance operations more efficient. At his graduation, Bernard was awarded the President’s Scholarship, Leadership, Citizenship award for his service and commitment to Ashesi’s ideals.
“I enjoyed my stay at Ashesi, and I feel I am more than capable of handling anything life throws at me. If I could say anything to my friends and junior students still enjoying the ride, I would tell them to not let their college experience be over-dominated by academic work. College should also be a place of new relationships and new experiences. Nonetheless, more grease to their elbows. I look forward to seeing them out here in the real world.”
