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Leave a legacy – Ashesi Student Council’s tribute to Matthew Taggart, Dr. Astrid Larssen and Professor Nana Apt

Wherever we go, whatever we do; we leave a legacy; consciously or unconsciously. It may be because of something we say or something we do. The way people remember us is a legacy of our presence at a particular moment in time. While some people leave lasting legacies, others leave a legacy of nothing. Whether you like it or not, you are going to leave a legacy, and the advantage we have today is the knowledge of the fact that we can determine what that legacy will be.

No matter how long you plan to be in Ashesi for, you have the enviable task of leaving an indelible footprint on one of the greatest experiments Africa has seen – the Ashesi dream. Join a club, or better yet, form a club; make a 4.0 GPA, make the dean’s list; help keep the campus clean; throw the biggest party; know everyone’s name on campus; win the APL, be the best soccer or basketball player; influence the honour system; start a business; impact someone’s life positively as faculty; teach a student to love the most hated course; become a mentor to a student; make a difference in the life of a family from Berekuso. In any way, as little or great as possible, take control of the legacy you will leave.

Over the past ten years, Ashesi has built an amazing brand, on the sweat and toil of faculty, administrators, staff and students alike. In the next ten years, when all of us are alumni, and you tell people you went to Ashesi, how would you like them to react? All of this will depend on us leaving a powerful legacy. This brand cannot fail. I repeat, the brand cannot fail. What legacy will you leave behind? This great institution, it will endure. Ashesi is yours.

Today we have gathered here, not only to say goodbye to some of Ashesi illustrious contributors, but also to celebrate the legacies these individuals have left.

Matthew Taggart’s tireless efforts in helping to raise funds for Ashesi are unprecedented. People scoffed at the Berekuso dream, laughed at the possibility of raising enough capital to finance and support this burgeoning institution. However, Matthew’s service at the forefront of this institution has helped bring us this far.

Dr. Larssen’s dedication to the Computer Science department cannot be quantified by the numerous lines of code and applications she’s reviewed, or the quality hours of tutelage that students have enjoyed in her classes. She is a true gem and will really be missed. Her contribution to encouraging more women to engage Computer Science courses has given light to some of the most promising computer science students and careers in the country.

On a personal level, Professor Apt has been such an inspiration. Her long list of impressive accolades, her passion for local art, her desire for a rich academic experience in an institution she loves, her impatience for mediocrity are unparalleled and her genuine interest in the lives of students.

Ashesi has been blessed to have you, and we are more than thankful.

On behalf of the Ashesi student community,
Michael Fiifi Quansah ’14,
President, Ashesi Student Council

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