I grew up in Ashaiman, one of Ghana’s largest slums, and come from a background of great economic disadvantage. The houses I grew up in often lacked one basic amenity or the other, and I have too many memories of my parents suffering harsh treatment and exploitation by merciless landlords in the name of rent. When we finally managed to fulfil our housing obligations, the next daunting hurdle to clear was my school fees. In spite of our lack, my parents insisted I attend one of the best schools in the town, refusing to let their income be a barrier to my education. I have several memories of being marched out of class for non-payment of fees along with the humiliation and disappointment I felt each time I packed my things out of class. Most …show more content…
There, I learnt to love and envision a new Africa through the people I met and the courses I studied. The compelling story of Patrick Awuah who quit a well-paid Microsoft job to establish Ashesi, an institution which trains ethical and entrepreneurial leaders, sparked the urge for development in me. In one leadership course, I was particularly inspired by the work of Jeroo Billimoria who founded Child Helpline in India to assist street children. As a child who thrived in unsafe conditions, I appreciated the impact of her work. As a result, even though I studied Business Administration, I always explored ways to use my business knowledge to create impact. In my first year, I participated in a course dubbed “Build your Business” where I created a business plan to provide affordable housing in slums. In second year, I co-founded a volunteer program to teach and inspire children in remote, rural areas and to support local businesses in these communities. My passion for and commitment to development was recognised and in my third year, I was selected from a competitive pool of students to attend the Doha Goals Forum and the Talloires Network Leadership Conference, both focused on community engagement. My undergraduate dissertation explored ways of financing educational programs for children with autism in Ghana. I graduated from Ashesi in …show more content…
Learning from faculty members like Research Fellow Jaideep Gupte, who has immense knowledge and experience on urban development and the economics of slum resettlement will be an invaluable contribution to achieving my future goals. Also, I’m enthusiastic to interact with professors like Mairead Dunne who has conducted research and written publications on education in developing countries. For example, her research on access, quality and outcomes of basic education, especially of girls and her project on teaching and learning of low attaining pupils makes her a suitable coach for my education related goals. The partnership between the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) and Sussex is another amazing advantage. As reflected by my career objectives, I share their vision of equal and sustainable societies where everyone can live fulfilling lives free from poverty and injustice. IDS has the facilities, research and people to help me work towards feasible and sustainable positive change and nurture me into an effective development
College Admissions Essay If someone asked me where I am going to be in ten years, this would be my answer. I have a great, high-paying job, and beautiful wife and family, and a nice sports car parked in front of my lovely house. When I look into the future, I see myself being successful and happy. Even though I always pictured myself this way, I never worried too much about how I would get there.
As global citizens, whatever happens to one happens to us all; as such, we should avoid isolating ourselves. Aware of the many paths to choose from in this field, including non-profits and think tanks, I will seek to pursue work for an international organization like United Nations to help it gain more access of knowledge from the most prestige minds in the world. At Tennessee Tech University, my undergraduate program should be described as rewarding and fruitful. Working at the International Education Office at TTU for the past two years has helped me develop the notion of respect for other cultures and traditions more since we receive multinational students and scholars quarterly. Furthermore, many of the international students I have met have become my friends for
In Sophie McBain’s The learning curve, she describes that poverty-stricken children in the African country of Uganda haven’t had an opportunity for secondary school education for years owing to the fact that they couldn’t afford it. Due to the costly expense, only “one in four children of secondary school age” have been enrolled in school in Uganda up until 2008 (Sophie McBain). Those who weren’t privileged with attending school were then consigned to a life of living “on less than $1.25 a day,” condemning them to poverty the rest of their life (Sophie McBain). McBain explains that one of these impoverished children, John-Mary Nantengo, had high aspirations of going to a secondary school during his juvenile years,
I have chosen the five-year double-degree program in Laurier which aims to educate students in both areas of commerce and computer science. I am confident that my chosen program will help me in my future career plans and fulfill my desire to learn more knowledge. Personally, I have always dreamed to become a successful business woman who would promote local businesses to grow and expand to the international market. This is because I have been inspired by a video which talks about child poverty in the United Kingdom. It was extremely heartbreaking and in my opinion, the only method to effectively reduce and eliminate poverty would be positive economic growth and business expansion. Moreover, I am extremely interested in business because it also
...is course that I did not expect to learn. I have learned of the countless African achievements and advancements that others have taken credit for. This seemingly underdeveloped continent is home to some of the greatest empires such as Ghana and Great Zimbabwe. Its political advancements are just as impressive with the concept of monarchy having been developed there. Africa’s wonders also lie in its vast culture being home to many mathematical advancements and the creation of impressive architecture. And these are only some of the magnificent achievements within the continent. I have learned of African struggles from slavery to gender discrimination as well as of its success at overcoming these obstacles. My perception of Africa has completely changed after taking this course. It has introduced me to so many facts about the region that I was previously unaware of.
After graduation from KOREA University, I decided to enter Hyndai MotorCompany(HMC), which is the largest Korean car manufacturer and global player, to pursue a career as an international businessman. In January 1991, I joined Domestic Finance Team of HMC. My specific assignment was to plan monthly and annual financial schedules for HMC's domestic funding needs. About two years later, in January of 1993, I was transferred to Retail Finance Team from Domestic Finance Team and responsible for financing by the sales and factoring of Car Receivables.
To the right of the building, trash flooded the sand in which villages were built upon, composing the slums of Accra. Witnessing the contrast of the beautiful art museum next to the makeshift shacks, I began to silently weep. This was the catalyst that would ignite the spark of growth that began my junior year. During the summer of 2016, I had the opportunity to travel with my school to Ghana in order to participate in a service learning project. Due to not receiving any serious disciplinary points while maintaining a distinguished honor roll GPA, I was selected for this unique trip.