Kaitlin Reese
Study Abroad, Fall 2005 – Spring 2006

Excited, nervous and extremely curious, I looked up at the building in front of me thinking, “Ashesi University.” This is where I will be coming every day for the next long nine months.” Knowing close to nothing about Ashesi, my first impressions of the school gave me a great deal of reassurance that my year in Ghana would be as good as any exchange student could hope for. With a dedicated faculty and staff, ambitious students and exceptional programs it is hard to believe Ashesi is such a young school.

I was surprised to find that most of the faculty members remembered my name from the first day I visited the school, before the academic year had even started. This was my first taste of the family like community here. During orientation the whole faculty was so enthusiastic about helping the incoming freshmen grow and gain a sense of belonging. Unlike a lot schools, this enthusiasm and dedication has continued throughout the year. Having such an encouraging faculty has given Ashesi the positive environment necessary for learning.

Being my first time outside North America, it was natural that I missed home in the beginning. Luckily, the Ashesi community always brightened these days and made me forget my homesickness. My classmates have made me feel so comfortable that I do not feel like a foreigner. I never would have imagined that every day when I came to school there would be a friendly face sincerely concerned whether I was enjoying my stay in Ghana, and for that I am grateful.

Now that my time at Ashesi and in Ghana is just weeks away from ending it feels like it went by too quickly. There is no doubt in my mind that when I come back to Ghana I will hear about Ashesi alumni being among the most successful leaders the country has seen. I wish everyone at Ashesi the best of luck in the future. Thank you for making my experiences in Ghana unforgettable. I only hope the school I attend back in the States can live up to the standards Ashesi has set in my mind for what a university should be