September 19, 2018
While siblings may sometimes push our buttons and get on our nerves, there’s still something special about having a little bit of your family on the same campus.
Year after year, as the community grows, there has been a steady climb in the number of younger siblings applying to Ashesi. This year alone, the Class of 2022 includes nine freshmen who have older siblings also enrolled at Ashesi.
In this story, four freshmen and their older siblings share how they manage their relationships at Ashesi.
The Hijazis
In his fourth year at Ashesi, Mohamed Hijazi ’19 has had quite the experience here. In addition to his tight academic schedule, he runs two start-ups on campus: a phone repair service, and a transport service. His brother Shafic also a budding entrepreneur joined him at Ashesi this September.
“My parents had always wanted all of us to come to Ashesi because of its reputation as one of the leading universities in Ghana,” said Mohamed Hijazi ’19. “However, my growth and experience at Ashesi so far, have strengthened their resolve. Personally, I came to Ashesi because I wanted to build my ability to reason, to find solutions to problems and build strong networks. In all this, I have learned to balance my work and academics and ultimately be a good example to my younger siblings.”
For his younger brother, Shafic, Mohamed’s experience at Ashesi, motivated him to choose Ashesi.
“It’s exciting to be in the same school with my brother because he’s been my guide and role model for a long time,” he said. “Even though it is good to learn from experiences, for me, Mohamed is my cheat code, my hack. He lends a listening ear and gives great suggestions; with his help, I have founded a photography start-up. It’s great to have him around here.”
The Segbefias
Growing up Tamisha Segbefia always had to blaze the trail for her twin brothers, David and Denzel. Now that they’ve joined her at Ashesi, she’s also useful in providing a soft landing for them.
“The twins’ transition to Ashesi was easier because I was here to help them when they needed it, as compared to them having no family around,” said Tamisha. “During my first weeks here, I felt very burnt out.”
“We wouldn’t have come to Ashesi if Tamisha’s experience hadn’t been positive,” shared Denzel. “She’s in a number of clubs, participates in several other activities, and still manages to get good grades.”
“She is strategic about her time, and that’s something we admire,” said David, Denzel’s brother. “However, being in the same space as our sister, we feel like there is a standard we have to match up to.”
The Wusu-Ansahs
For the Wusu-Ansahs, Ashesi had always been top-of-mind. Both Afrakuma ’19 and her brother Kofi ’22 both engineering students, attended the Ashesi Innovation Experience while in high school. Following that, there was little question about Ashesi being their top choice for college.
“My first encounter with Ashesi was during my second year of high school, at the Ashesi Innovation Experience (AIX),” shared Afrakuma. “I came home for the long break to find my bags packed and ready for AIX the next day. Nevertheless, I was pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable a school-like program turned out to be; I learned to be more expressive. At that point, I knew I had to come to Ashesi after high school. There is just so much to learn and a lot of opportunities available.”
“I pretty much had the same experience with Ashesi’s AIX as Afrakoma did except that she was a coach for AIX during my time,” said Kofi. “She didn’t give me much information prior to the program but said was everything would be fine and true to her word, it was a great experience.”
The Adatsis
Even though Edwin and Bridget Adatsi share very little in common, they found a lot of things about Ashesi that made it a good choice for both of them.
“Our parents are too excited about both of us being at Ashesi,” said Edwin who is also the President of the Ashesi Student Council. “Funny thing is, it was our older brother who got us excited about Ashesi after attending AIX, though he did not become a student here. Additionally, for my parents, it is especially relieving for them knowing I am here looking out for my sister, so they feel less worried.”
“When my brother told me about Ashesi, I researched about it and decided to come also,” said Bridget. “Even though I want to be a chartered accountant, I love the fact that Ashesi has a multidisciplinary education that will enable me to explore other subjects also. My brother and I are vastly different, but we have basketball in common and got both play in the school league. I’m really glad he’s here because I can get his help on anything.”
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