Nurudeen is an Ashesi sophomore who lives with her parents in Kotobabi, a small township in Accra. An engineering student, she aspires to someday establish a center in Ghana that tackles local sanitation challenges.
Nurudeen’s bright future as an engineer, however, was not always a given. In her youth, she says that she was far from an academically-minded student. “I feel thankful because I’ve come so far in the learning process. During my primary days through Junior High School, I never felt the need to learn. You would never find me sitting behind a desk reading or writing outside of class. It took great people to change my attitude towards learning. Ever since, I have progressed significantly in my work,” explains Nurudeen.
In high school, Nurudeen shined academically thanks to dedicated teachers and her strong work ethic. Now, she can proudly share that she excels in mathematics, historically her most challenging subject. Near the end of high school, Nurudeen learned about Ashesi through one of her teachers.
“I heard about Ashesi University through one of my favorite teachers, Mr. William Kyei. He told us why Ashesi is a good place to be – not only because of its good teachers and facilities, but also because it is against unethical deeds – a characteristic that is very rare in Ghana’s public universities. I am here at Ashesi, and I’m happy and there’s no better place I can imagine myself. The environment is almost perfect – the courses, the teachers, the resource centers, the clubs, the endless opportunities, it goes on and on.”
“This scholarship means everything to me. I imagine what I would have been missing on this campus without it… I’m here and I’m ready to take advantage of all the experiences I am offered.”
“I’ve learned a lot in class already, made new friends, joined many clubs and I’m ready to take on some of the major responsibilities in these clubs. One of the most amazing things here in Ashesi I’m really impressed about is the water filtering system, the liquid and solid waste systems. Also, the fact that there is an online platform for teachers and students to communicate at any time is excellent. At Ashesi, you not only learn but are trained to be ethical, to be a thinker and leader, and are provided with skills to prepare you for the real world.”
Nurudeen has always wanted to be a part of a team that solves sanitation, waste management, and power shortage problems in Ghana. At Ashesi, one of her courses focuses on sanitation – considering sanitation problems from different perspectives and the factors that bring about these problems. Ultimately, Nurudeen aspires to establish a center that tackles Ghana’s sanitation challenges.
“I want to be a part of the development process in my country because I want to see it transform from where it is now to a place people never imagined and I want Ghanaians to be proud to be a part of the country.”
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