When Lorna Naa Amina Nelson ’29 graduated from high school, she made a bold decision: to take a gap year. It wasn’t one she made lightly. She knew she needed time to pause, recharge, and carefully consider her next step after the intensity of her A-Levels. The break, she explains, allowed her to restore her energy and figure out her university path.
Her gap year became a season of discovery. She explored different opportunities, including an internship at Yemaachi Biotechnology. Later, she shadowed a mentor at the University of Ghana’s Chemical Pathology Department, gaining firsthand insight into how biological sciences translate into real-world applications. She also studied for the SATs, learned to drive, and sharpened her culinary skills under the tutelage of her grandmother. By the end of the year, she had clarity: her future was in Biological Engineering.
A campus tour at Ashesi in July further cemented her choice of university. Walking through the laboratories and classrooms left a lasting impression. “When I saw the facilities, especially after my internship at Yemaachi, I thought, ‘This is it. This is the place to be.’ I was really surprised and impressed.”
A few months later, Nelson is now part of Ashesi’s pioneering class in Biological Engineering, a program she embraced after rethinking her original plan of studying medicine. “I was so certain about medicine,” she shares. “But when COVID hit, I realized that helping people isn’t one-sided. Doctors play a role, but there are people in labs creating vaccines and coming up with innovations that save lives. I wanted to be part of that.”
