May 16, 2019
Jean Nii Dartey “Nii Q” Quarcoopome’s first experience with public speaking came in high school when he watched a spoken-word poetry group video. He enjoyed watching several poets share their stories to audiences and soon decided to start writing his own poems.
“After seeing the videos, I wanted the opportunity to share that kind of stage,” he shared. “I picked up spoken-word and started writing my own poems; and by the time I got to Ashesi, I had written many. My dream of speaking to a global audience is coming true, being given the chance by classmates to share our story at Commencement 2019. We all got caught up in our individual journeys at Ashesi; but beyond our individual experiences and side-hustles, I hope to remind everyone of our collective story as a class. I want to bring back the story of how far we have come, and it’s a really good one. And beyond earning the trust of my mates to represent them, being a Commencement day speaker will be a moment my family will be proud of.”
During his student years, Nii Q held many speaking roles, and as a Member of Parliament at Ashesi, this will not be his first time serving as a voice for his classmates and their stories. He has also picked up multiple awards for public speaking, including the annual Career Fair Personal Branding and Elevator pitch competitions, and first prize Clash of Classes, an inter-year group debate competition at which he represented his class. In his final year, Nii Q also hosted the Ubora Student Excellence Awards. Beyond Ashesi, he hopes to be able to continue telling stories about African brands, having already co-founded creative agency, Hashtag Africa.
“When I look back at my journey, no other place would have brought forth the things I found within myself as Ashesi did,” he shares. “The kinds of friendships I’ve made, exposure and mentoring experience I’ve had, and the impact I’ve made, have revealed who I want to be and what I can do. As I prepare for Commencement, I look forward to living up to the faith my classmates have in me.”
Share this story