Nana Oteng-Korankye II, Nananom, Board members present, the President of Ashesi, Dr Patrick Awuah, Emeritus Professors present, our Distinguished Guest Speaker and soon-to-be fellow alum Sylvia Mbama, Ashesi staff and faculty, dear parents and well-wishers, my fellow graduands, ladies and gentlemen.
I recently read an interesting fact a friend sent to me that every single piece of rock on Ashesi’s walls was dug up from the land on which our campus is built. This fact about Ashesi’s construction is more than just an interesting tidbit – it’s a powerful metaphor for our journey here. Like these rocks, we arrived in our raw form. And over the last 48 months, 208 weeks, 1461 days and 35064 hours we’ve been built into something greater than we could have imagined.
Just as this institution was built from the ground up, so too have we built ourselves with the help of staff and faculty. As we look back to our shared journey, there are endless opportunities before us. My name is Chudah Yakung, and I am privileged to chronicle our journey up to this point, and to share what joy there may be in our brilliant and shared future. It seems like decades ago, but when our Class joined Ashesi there was still a remarkable global pandemic to contend with.
Yet on our first day of (online) class, we were being asked to design MRI Scanners with computer-aided design and form teams to solve SDG goals in Africa. Ei Ashesi! A few weeks ago, some of my mates and I shared a good laugh when we reflected on an early interaction in Jomens’ class; one student had complained about a poor internet connection affecting their ability to submit assignments; and in typical fashion, Jomens telling him that “I am also facing the same problem, so let’s team up and fight this beast together.” Needless to say, those assignments were submitted, and on time.
From those days onward, whether we were sweating over the 6am microeconomics quizzes, debugging the segmentation fault error or understanding triple integration, we were learning to tackle complex problems, adapt to unexpected situations, and push through difficulties. And as we stand on the cusp of our professional lives, I am confident these lessons will prove invaluable. I like to think of Ashesi’s philosophy of work as similar to what perhaps elite military training may look like, though I should confirm with the alumni who have joined the military. It felt like stepping into an unfamiliar world.
Ashesi – this place of many beginnings – sometimes seemed like it was going to be the end of us. We were so bamboozled by the work rate in Ashesi that it got us singing “Ashesi what is it? Haven’t you done enough?” If you find graduates wandering around today, talking to themselves and saying “herh Ashesi”, I hope you now understand why. Our web tech students will not forget how their “most secure” web applications granted access to users when Mr Sampah said “type 123 as your password” during their presentation, while our embedded engineers will always remember their robotic arms that refused to work as soon as Dr Nathan requested for a demo.
From the pandemic came the accelerated year, a final sprint that demanded every ounce of our strength and determination. It was our version of ‘Hell Week’ – a period of intense pressure designed to reveal our true capabilities. The dreaded word on every senior’s lips had come into reality. Capstone!. Dr Korsah’s “so what is the relevance of this project” during our mock capstone presentations when we thought we had built the next big thing made graduation seem light years from that time. Yet here we are, having emerged much stronger, more skilled and more prepared. We have been trained to not excel when everything is easy, but to also press forward even under high-pressure situations.
Through a pandemic, first encounters with rapid online learning, and a university that asked us to set the highest expectations of ourselves, we have not just survived, but thrived and proved that we are greater than the 11:59 pm submissions. By dint of these achievements I will describe the class of 2024 as the unshakeable class. But our Ashesi story isn’t just about academic triumphs. It’s a tale of holistic growth, where we’ve excelled not only in classrooms but on playing fields, in entrepreneurial ventures, and in service to our community. Our journey has been enriched by the diverse talents and passions that each of us brought to this campus.
Our Wednesday nights were always “icy” because of Qyaunor’s cold play during basketball games, and Kofi AG leaving us in shock with his impressive three pointers. Our amazing footballers such as Nkansah, Roland, Ab, Kuuchi, Bassam, Eunice, Camara, Miriam, Esly, Eunice and many more blessed the Ashesi League on Saturdays with their skills. Our buzzing entrepreneurs including Ahavah, Biragoe’s goodies, Grab-hub, Lahari Events, Aunty Be and Co popcorn, YT, Laila’s cakes, Jo’s oils, our favourite author Kwaku Osafo and many more constantly remind us that Ashesi’s goal of raising entrepreneurial leaders is still alive.
My fellow graduands, even International Trade with its new bugs, COA final exams and Thermodynamics, could not stop us from sitting here with maximum composure and steeze. As the famous basketball player Kobe Bryant said “Rest at the end and not at the middle”, I also want to encourage us to carry this perseverance forward into our future endeavours. The world is battling with wicked problems and believe it or not we are the ones with the creative solutions. Before you get pressured by what I am saying just as Dr Patrick Awuah told the class of 2023, “I am not asking you to go and save the world” but do things that you will be proud of and outlive you.
Remember, change doesn’t always have to be global to be significant. Sometimes, it’s the small, consistent actions that create the most lasting outcomes. It could be mentoring a younger colleague, volunteering in your community, or developing a more efficient process at work. Every positive action, no matter how small, ripples outward and contributes to a better world. As I mentioned earlier, we have been built with the help of staff and faculty. This is why we say, to the faculty and staff, who moulded us, thank you. Thank you for showing us not just WHAT to think but HOW to think. Your patience, your enthusiasm and your willingness to engage have shaped our academic journey in profound ways. In a world of change, the lessons you have taught to us will remain constant.
I know it may be easier to say this now that we are graduating, than when we were battling 11:59 PM deadlines, but you have indeed created an environment conducive to learning and growth, and for that, we are deeply grateful. A special thank you – to you as well, Dr Patrick Awuah, for bringing this dream into reality. If this is what four years of Ashesi has been like for us, I wonder what 22 years has been like for you. On the day of our Seniors lunch, you had spoken about the power of persisting in executing a plan. It got me thinking: what would have happened if the visionaries of Ashesi gave up? We are grateful that you all stood on business, despite what must have been remarkable odds.
And now, to the biggest heroes of our academic journey – our parents, guardians, and families. Your unwavering support has been the bedrock of our success. Today’s achievement is as much yours as it is ours. As you beam with pride watching us receive our degrees, please know that our hearts are full of gratitude for you as well. This milestone is a testament to your love, sacrifice, and unwavering belief in us. We love you, we thank you, and we promise to make you proud as we step into the next chapter of our lives. As I stand here, looking out at all of you, I’m reminded that we are not just classmates, but a family. We’ve laughed together during late-night study sessions and cried together when the pressure seemed insurmountable. I am sure we all remember how we protested against writing a Statistics final exam. Class of 2024, this is not goodbye. It’s simply the beginning of a new chapter in our shared story.
I want you to look around. These faces you see, they’re not just your classmates. They’re your support system and your lifelong friends. We entered Ashesi as individuals, but we leave as a family. From the families built in the gym, spotting each other during workouts, to the ones forged during the engineering Volta tournaments, where teamwork became our second nature, we’ve created bonds that transcend the lecture halls.
I would like to end with a story I was told some years back. A farmer saw a donkey stuck in an old well and did not know how to rescue the donkey. It seemed the donkey was going to die a slow, painful death. So in order to prevent such misery, he decided to bury the donkey. But as he started shovelling dirt into the well, he noticed that the donkey was climbing higher. He quickly realised, that each time he pushed dirt into the well, the donkey would shake it off; and this was creating a mound at the bottom of the well that was bringing the donkey to the top. Rather than burying the donkey, he ended up helping it out of the well.
And I pray Class of 2024, that it will be so for us. Let it be so, that even as we choose to act in mercy, we end up giving a chance to an idea; a business; a life. And let it be so, that even in our darkest wells when it seems that life’s challenges may very well bury us, we can still choose to seek the opportunities that will enable us to climb. Remember to shake the sand off, take a step up, and decide to “no ‘gree for anybody”.
In the words of Zane Grey, “to bear up under loss; to fight the bitterness of defeat and the weakness of grief; to be victor over anger; to smile when tears are close; to resist evil men; to hate hate and love love; to go on when it would seem good to die; to seek after the glory and dreams; to look up with unquenchable faith; that is what anyone can do; , and so go do, and be, great.
So, Class of 2024 with courage, compassion, and the unwavering belief in our ability to make impact, go do and be great. Thank you and God bless us all.
