Mawumefa Banini
Sophomore, Class of 2015
I can still remember vividly the conversation I had with my dad in my first year of high school. It was about universities in Ghana. I actually cannot remember what brought the issue up but it was one of the most important conversations I have had with him. He mentioned he had heard of Ashesi University and how it was nurturing its students to become great leaders. He hoped I would go there too and that was the beginning of my desire to be an Ashesi student.
From 2007, all I thought of when it came to universities was Ashesi. Coming from a school where one could only aspire to be in the University of Ghana, this desire was new. Some people told me the fees were high while others thought I was confused; they saw no reason why I would choose Ashesi over the most highly recommended public schools in the country. There was a perception that students rejected by the public universities went to private ones. Some of my friends actually mocked me. However, instead of feeling odd I felt good. I welcomed the nicknames as they reminded and got me closer to my dream of becoming an Ashesi student. Throughout high school, I behaved as if I had an assured admission, and encouraged my other class mates to apply.
Never missing any of the presentations Ashesi had in Accra Girls, I hoped and prayed for the day I stepped foot into Ashesi as a student. I knew that my dad did not have $2,750, but that did not stop me from dreaming. I clearly remember the noise I made when I heard that I had gained admission into Ashesi and was given the scholarship I requested. There and then – without doubt – I knew that I dared to dream and it came true.
I remember the pride with which I entered the school the very first time; the serenity of the environment, very captivating. I walked in full of energy, ready to learn new things, ready to be trained. What I hadn’t anticipated however, was the seriousness with which everyone went about their activities. I approached it with a high school mentality; learning when I had a test and forgetting afterwards “chew and pour” as we called it in Accra Girls Senior High School. The saying “Good Things Don’t Come Easy” immediately hit me. Ashesi requires hard work, focus and dedication on my part. I thought I was coming to have fun and when my four years was due I would leave with my highly secured job. This is not so.
A year has passed on and the dream is still on. With what I have acquired so far, no matter where I find myself, I am ready to change things around me.
