The date was December 17th, 2005. And some 100 faculty, staff and family were gathered under tents on Ashesi’s rented campus in Labone for the University’s first Commencement ceremony. It was a historic day, as Ashesi was about to celebrate the graduation of its first set of graduates. For the Class Speaker, Andrew Tarawali ‘05, stepping up to become the first such speaker in Ashesi’s history, carried a mix of emotions and nervousness.
“I was a little jumpy, but mostly excited about the opportunity to share our story with the world,” he shared. (Click to read Andrew’s speech)
Having completed high school in Sierra Leone, Andrew had started making plans to move to Canada for his university studies. However, during a visit to Ghana to complete his VISA application process, he stumbled on a newspaper that had an ad for a new university in Ghana – Ashesi University – that spoke of a curriculum and university experience modelled around some of the best schools in the U.S. 
“After seeing the ad, I took a visit to the campus in Labone and spoke to people,” he shared. “It was a very convincing experience. And rather than travel to Canada, I figured I could stay closer to home; Ashesi spoke of the kind of education I had wanted, but it was happening right here in Africa. A lot of people thought I was crazy; and maybe I really was naïve. But I trusted that the university was going to give me the kind of education that would position me to take advantage of opportunities in the world. Ashesi lived up to that promise.”
Over a decade after making that decision, Andrew has gone on to build a career in high-impact business and social impact advisory, working with global firms across Africa. Currently based in Nigeria and serving as Portfolio Manager for West Africa at Acumen, Andrew is helping small and medium scale companies, as well as large corporations, scale and deliver innovation in the region.
“Ashesi was a gamble at that time, but being a part of the pioneer class has been worth it,” he shared. “Even though I did not get the privilege of Ashesi’s present infrastructure and resources, I am proud that I can call it my alma mater; and for the most part, being an alumnus of Ashesi has served me well.”
This year, when the members of the Class of 2019 students walk the stage to receive their Ashesi certificates, the setting will be vastly different from Andrew’s. From the first ceremony’s 100 guests, Ashesi’s fifteenth Commencement is expected to welcome over 1,500 guests to the University’s Sports Centre, on our permanent campus in Berekuso. The new ceremony location, overlooking the capital city of Accra, will bring views of some of the communities that Ashesi alumni are influencing. And from that first class of 30 students in 2002 that Andrew was a part of, Ashesi has now grown to over 2000 students and alumni.
Yet the spirit of the ceremony will be the same for the graduating class; bringing a sense excitement, nervousness and a responsibility. Like the pioneering Class of 2005, Ashesi’s Class of 2019 also carries a pioneering spirit; featuring our first group of Engineering students.
[Class of 2005: Ashesi’s first Graduating class]And for the Class of 2019, Andrew’s words at the University’s first Commencement ceremony still ring true:
“It is my belief that as graduates in Africa, we should be the ones that would transform our continent into a model of prosperity. We are no longer the typical or the average and as such we can’t do the mediocre. […] The future of Ghana and Africa as a whole depend on the actions and decisions we make. […] The road ahead for us is not an easy one. However, I believe I speak for not only the graduates here today but the entire student body, when I say we are different and unique. And our actions will reinforce this message. We will stand out from the rest.”
