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Commencement 2013 – President’s Award Recipients

The Scholarship, Leadership & Citizenship Award is given on an annual basis to graduates who have lived out Ashesi’s core values during their time at the university. The award is presented by the President of the University, and students who receive the award are those that have contributed in outstanding ways to Ashesi’s mission, and have had a strong impact on the Ashesi Community. This is the highest award a student can receive at Ashesi.

Mac-Anthony Manu ’13
At Ashesi, Mac-Anthony was someone who people would vouch for without hesitation. He was diligent, respectful, humble and had a lot of quiet ambition. A trained teacher with classroom experience under his belt, he chose to add value to his profession by studying for a Computer Science degree from Ashesi. His background and existing achievements did not discourage him from participating fully in campus life, extracurricular activities, and leadership roles, but rather, spurred him on. Ashesi’s campus became his own, and he ‘campaigned’ to keep Ashesi at peak levels of excellence.

He started and registered the Ashesi Chapter of the Rotary Club, and was heavily involved in the ICT training programme for students in Berekuso, Ashesi’s hometown. Last year, while doing an internship with TIGO, his employers were full of praise for his dedication and punctuality, even though he had been commuting between the Volta Region and Accra daily because he was unable to find appropriate accommodation in Accra. Such is his commitment to a cause. 

For his commitment to scholarship, leadership and citizenship, Ashesi bestowed this award upon Mac-Anthony Manu


Naa Ayeleysa Quaynor-Mettle ’13
Naa Ayeleysa took full advantage of what Ashesi, and the world, offers to students. As a freshman she stood out as an enthusiastic leader and learner. She engaged in several extracurricular activities, helping organise first-of-its-kind events, including Ashesi first’s Talent Festival, Kaleidoscope. She served twice as a Resident Assistant, and held a leadership role in Ashesi’s student government. She eagerly accepted the lead role for Ashesi’s chapter of Harvard’s African Development Initiative when it was introduced in 2010, which went on to work with deprived areas of Ghana to build basic social amenities.

From winning career fair competitions, to earning internship opportunities at Goldman Sachs in London, to presentations at global conferences in Qatar, Naa took advantage of opportunities across the board, all while maintaining a strong classroom presence. In her last weeks at Ashesi, she organized a learning session for younger Ashesi students, to pass on her knowledge of, and experiences with networking, career and self-development opportunities to the next generation of Ashesi students.

Naa went went after every opportunity with grit, passion, and an ambitious goal in mind. 

For her commitment to scholarship, leadership and citizenship, Ashesi bestowed this award upon Naa Ayeleysa Quaynor-Mettle.


Kwadwo Boakye Owusu-Adjei ’13
During his time at Ashesi, Kwadwo embraced the university’s vision, took advantage of its infancy, and saw himself and his classmates as co-architects of the future, as they pressed ahead with commitment. He was relentless in his mission for student voices to be heard and appreciated.From coaching a team in Ashesi’s Football League, to earning an internship with Goldman Sachs in London, he inspired fellow students to think big, and to look for experiences that match and go beyond their experience at Ashesi.

He rose to the challenge of leading Ashesi’s student body as it was still settling into its new home in Berekuso, and strived to keep the momentum of student life on a high once the novelty of the new home took second place to daily academic life. In the life of universities here and abroad, campus meals are significant, and never without controversy, yet, Kwadwo tackled it head on. He took on the needs of the Ashesi community, and at the helm of student government, negotiated and raised funds to build a student-owned cafeteria to provide more meal options.

For his commitment to scholarship, leadership and citizenship, Ashesi bestowed this award upon Kwadwo Boakye Owusu-Adjei.

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