Morning Glory M.C.D.C

In the Eyes of Morning Glory M.C.D.C Class of 2015

Dr. Patrick G

Awuah Jnr. Founder & President, Ashesi University College, Ghana

Contents 2-4 About MCDC

5-7 Maria MONTESSORI

8 The Benefits Of Montessori Education

16-17

9-14

Walk With

Dr. Patrick G.

Awuah Jnr.

Time with DR. PATRICK G. AWUAH JNR. in Pictures

18-19 About ASHESI UNIVERSEITY

PUBLISHING CREDITS Chief Executive - Dr. Mrs. Ellen M. Hagan Editor-in-Chief - David Sowa Attricki Copy Editor - Mrs. Joyce Boeh-Ocansey Content Editor - Revina A. Acheampong Graphic Designers - Emmanuel Afum

Obed Adu Agyemang

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Publisher

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No. 6, Cordia Road.

Teshie Nungua Estates P. O. Box 1198, Accra-Ghana Tel: 0302 717190 / 717290 Email: info@landoservices.com Website: www.landoservices.com

MRS. GLORIA EWURESI ARTHUR (Founder & Managing Director)

About

Morning Glory M. C. D. C

M

orning Glory Montessori Child Development Center was established in September 1996. It started as a nursery school located within the residence of the founder and Managing Director, Mrs. Gloria Ewuresi Arthur, with an initial pupil intake of twenty-one (21).

The school has within the period of 19 years grown from a humble beginning as a small nursery school into a full-fledged first class basic educational complex, comprising Nursery, Junior, and Junior High Departments. It has also expanded from a single stream into a double stream in all the departments. The school currently has a pupil population of a little over 500.

The school started the Junior High Department in the 2003/2004 academic year and has so far graduated nine sets of students whose excellent academic achievements easily secured them admission into leading senior high secondary schools in the country.

The school is located at Teshie-Nungua Estates, a middle-class residential estate in the south-eastern part of Accra.

Morning Glory Montessori Child Development Center is a recognized private educational facility registered with Ghana Education Service as a grade “A” school, which is the highest level of accreditation.

The school provides education at the basic level (i.e. nursery, junior and junior high) to pupils over a twelve-year period from 3 to 4 to 14 or 15 years of age. This, the school does using highly qualified and motivated teachers in a serene, stimulating and beautifully laid-out environment that facilitates effective teaching and learning based on Montessori principles of child development.

The school has other extra curricular, educative and entertainment programmes available. These include the Art Club, School Choir, French Club, Red Cross, Eye and Health Club and Debate and Drama Club.

Facilities available in the school include well equipped classrooms, library, home science kitchen, computer labs, science labs, sleeping lounges (for nursery pupils) and playground equipment.

The school has a numerical strength of 43 teaching and 24 non-teaching staff.

Academic work is important to us, so is the non-academic

work. As part of our training, Morning Glory M.C.D.C. as our hallmark, takes the aspiring Senior High School students through the following: • Pre-SHS Course • My Journey through Morning Glory M.C.D.C and a • Visit to a V.I.P The “Pre-SHS Course”. Because we want our out-going students to have a smooth transition into the Senior High School, the school organizes pre-SHS course for them. We take them through the following core subjects-English Language, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies. French has been included so as to help those who will be reading French at the second cycle institutions. We have abled and competent teacherswho take them through these subjects at no extra cost.

The second, “My Journey through Morning Glory M.C.D.C,” is a project work and it is a compilation of their stay in the school from the day of admission to the day of graduation. This is done by every student and then all projects are put together as one book.

The “Visit to a V.I.P,” is also another project work that was instituted in the year 2010. With this, final year students are given the opportunity to visit and interact with an important personality in the country. This visit gives them the exposure of meeting with someone you cannot easily have access to.

President John Agyekum Kufour was the first to host the 2010 year group. In 2011, it was her Ladyship, the Chief Justice, Mrs. Georgina Theodora Wood. Then the 2012, 2013 and 2014 batches also visited Alhaji Asuma Abu Banda, Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo Addo, and Dr. Mrs. Ellen Hagan of L’AINE Services Limited respectively. Last year, we had a very tall list of possible personalities to visit including, the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei-Tutu Ababio II, Ex-President Jerry John Rawlings, Dr. Patrick Awuah Jnr. the Founder and President of Ashesi University College, Capt. (Rtd.) Prince Kofi Amoabeng, CEO of UT Group of Companies, and a host of others. When the ballots were cast, it fell on Dr. Patrick G. Awuah Jnr. The school therefore extended an invitation to him and he agreed to host the 2015 final year students.

We are very grateful to Mr. Felix Enchill who organizes such visits and makes sure that at the end of the visit everyone gets home safely.

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A day with Dr.

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Mr. Rolland Arthur (Board Chairman)

Mr. Ato Tandoh (Board Member)

Mrs. Gloria E. Arthur (Founder & Managing Director)

Mr. Kofi Tandoh (III) (Board Member)

Ms. Susana Owusua-Anopong (Deputy Managing Director)

HEADS OF DEPARTMENT

Naa Adjekai Badu-Anum (Head of J.H.S Department) (English Tutor)

Edward N. Boye (Head of Junior Department) (Engish Tutor)

Philip Hoppey (Assist. Head of J.H.S Department) (Mathematics Tutor)

A day with Dr.

Patrick Awuah Jnr.

Emmanuel Addo (Asst. Head of Nursery Dept.) (Daffodil Tutor)

Joyce Kuma (Assist. Head of Nursery Department)(Daisy One Tutor)

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Francisca Adomako Stephen Nkrumah Debrah (Assist. Head of Junior (Assist Head of Junior Department) Department) (English Tutor) (Home Economics Tutor)

Philip Yao Tormety Charity Arhin (Assist. Head of J.H.S Department) (Assist. Head of Nursery Department) (Social Studies & Mathematics Tutor) (Marigold Tutor)

The Philosophy of Montessori Education

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he Montessori philosophy and curriculum is based on the life and work of Maria Montessori who founded the first Montessori school in Italy in 1907.

Through her extensive research and observations of the development of young children, she discovered what she described as the “absorbent mind.” Every child starting at birth absorbs the sensory input that surrounds him. This sensory input, such as sounds, visual impressions or tactile impressions, is stored in the child’s mind for future use. As the child reaches the age of three, he continues to absorb sensory information, but now his mind is beginning to organise, categorise and make sense of this information. As parents, or as adults who have spent some time with young children, we have seen the absorbent mind at work and often heard the comment that a child is like a sponge. In order to enable the child’s “absorbent mind,” the Montessori program offers a sensory rich environment in which a child can explore and absorb in order to learn.

Another discovery of Maria Montessori’s was that of a child’s “sensitive periods.” As we observe a child absorbing information from around her, we also see that each child progresses through different periods of interest and increased sensitivity to a certain area of learning.

For example, when an infant learns to crawl usually at around 8-10 months of age, she is often attracted to crawling up stairs. No matter how often an adult removes the infant from the stairs, she will keep heading back to the stairs. This is the infant’s sensitive period for learning the motor skills related to crawling and mobility. A Montessori environment fosters a child’s natural progression through her “sensitive periods” for skills like independence, order, language, and motor development by including six curriculum areas: Practical Life, Sensorial, Language, Math, Science and Geography and Culture.

The child is invited to move freely from one area of interest to another.

One of the strongest sensitive periods for a child between the ages of 2 and 6 years is that for independence. If you have parented a 2 year old, you are very familiar with the phrase “Me do it!” The Montessori environment is a safe, well-prepared environment in which a child’s independence is encouraged and developed. The prepared environment enables the child to choose his work independently and move freely from one interest to the next without requiring adult assistance. In addition, within the Montessori classroom, the child is expected to take care of his personal needs through tasks such as dressing or changing himself, preparing his own snack, setting the table for lunch, etc.

she progresses through the classroom materials. Lastly, the teacher serves as a guide to the child by connecting her to materials and work pertinent to that child’s level of development and interest.

Another emphasis of the Montessori philosophy is that of respect and responsibility. The young child is transitioning from being entirely focused on himself and his needs to becoming aware of others around him. The first community for the child is his family, and the second community is his school. Within a Montessori program, the child is expected to respect his community of peers and the classroom environment by accepting responsibility for it.

This is demonstrated through daily peer interaction, conflict resolution at the Peace Table, acknowledging another child’s workspace, handling the classroom materials with care, and replacing work how and where it belongs so it is ready for the next child. The child also helps take care of the environment through activities such as watering the plants, feeding the class pet, gardening, cleaning and recycling.

Through her research and observations, Montessori uncovered nature’s own educational process. The traditional educational model assumes that it is the adult’s responsibility to form the child. On the contrary, Montessori has shown that it is in fact nature’s responsibility to form the child. Nature accomplishes this by giving the child the means by which to form herself, and it is the adult’s responsibility to enable nature to take its course because by nature, “the child seeks for independence by means of work; an independence of body and mind. He cares little about the knowledge of others; he wants to acquire a knowledge of his own, to have experience of the world, and to perceive it by his own unaided efforts” (Montessori, Absorbent Mind 91).

In other words, a child learns through her own experiences. Montessori offers a safe and appropriate environment that encourages these learning experiences.

The Montessori program is very different from the traditional education program; therefore, it assumes different responsibilities for the teachers. The Montessori teacher is responsible for preparing the classroom to ensure that it offers opportunities for each child to follow her interests and needs. In addition, the teacher utilizes a detailed record keeping system to track each child as

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Modern Look of Montessori Classroom

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Patrick Awuah Jnr.

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Maria Montessori with Children in The Classroom

The Benefits of

Montessori Education

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aria Montessori saw much need for reform in the educational system of her day, just as we see the same need for reform in our educational system today. Her goal was to develop the whole personality of the child and her system is based on a strong belief in the spontaneous working of the human intellect. Her three primary principles are observation, individual liberty and preparation of the environment. These principles and their various practical expressions with children are gradually becoming part of our educational system. Modem kindergarten classrooms use the child-sized furniture and didactic materials first introduced by Montessori. Such current concepts as individualized learning and readiness programs, manipulative learning, ungraded classes, combined age groups, team teaching and open classrooms, reflect many of her early insights.

Parents of young children in the 90’s want to feel safe and secure in leaving their children in an environment that provides for all of their academic, social and emotional needs. A Montessori environment does meet all of the above needs, but it also teaches children an “I can do it” attitude that will ensure their future success in all aspects of their life.

Below are some characteristics and benefits of the Montessori method: – Three year age span of children within the classroom – Older children teaching younger children, sense of community and builds self esteem.

– Self correcting materials within the environment – Children learn through their own errors to make the correct decision versus having the teacher point it out to them.

– Individual learning takes place within the environment – Montessori recognizes that each child learns at a different pace and allows that growth to take place.

– Children are quiet by choice and out of respect for others within the environment – The Montessori classroom allows children to return to the “inner peace” that is a natural part of their personalities.

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– There is an emphasis on concrete learning rather than on abstract learning-Children need to experience concepts in concrete “hands-on” ways – It is a child-centered environment – All the materials are easily within the child’s reach and placed on shelves at their levels. The tables and chairs are small enough for the children to sit comfortably while the pictures and decorations are placed at the children’s eye level.

– The children work for the joy of working and the sense of discovery – Children are natural leaders or “sponges” and delight in learning new tasks. Their interests lie in the work itself rather than in the end product.

– The environment provides a natural sense of discipline – The “ground rules” or expectations of the child are clearly stated and are enforced by the children and the teachers.

– The environment is “prepared” for the children – Everything in the room has a specific place on the shelf. Children are orderly by nature and having the room set this way allows them to grow in a very positive way.

– The teacher plays a very unobtrusive role in the classroom – The children are not motivated by the teacher, but by the need for self-development.

The items found on the shelves in the classroom are “materials” rather than “toys.” The children “work with the materials” rather than “play with the toys.” This allows the children to gain the most benefit from the environment by giving them a sense of worth – the same sense of worth adults experience as they go to their jobs and do their “work”.

Dr. Patrick G.

Awuah Jnr. D

Early life and Education

r. Patrick G. Awuah Jnr. grew up, most of the time, in Accra after staying in Takoradi in the Western Region of Ghana for a while. He attended Akosombo International School in the Eastern Region of Ghana. After completing his primary education, he proceeded to Achimota Secondary School in Accra where he studied for his G.C.E Ordinary level and Advanced level certificates. He was a hardworking student who always strove to achieve excellence in whatever he did. His gentle demeanour coupled with other exemplary traits earned him the admiration of his teachers, friends and schoolmates. Interestingly, he had a lot of friends, all of whom were his favourites.

He was motivated to work hard because he wanted to be an engineer like his father so he never joked with his books. His best subjects were Science and Mathematics. His favourite teachers in those days were those teachers who had confidence in him and encouraged him most of the times. His parents were very supportive of him by providing all his needs and giving him their love and protection.

After successfully completing Sixth Form, young and promising Patrick left the shores of Ghana in the early 1980s to pursue his undergraduate education in Economics and Engineering at Swarthmore College in the United States of America. It is one of the best colleges in North America; well known for its liberal arts programmes.

labour unrests, among others were on the ascendancy. As a result, most Ghanaians were unable to make ends meet. Patrick and his family were not spared at all. He ate twice a day instead of three and most of the times went hungry with no food to eat.

His dream of travelling to the United States to pursue higher education was almost abandoned when his family could not raise the minimum amount of money as required by the admission board of the college. Thus, he was offered a scholarship covering all but one hundred dollars of its $1500 annual tuition fee but he was refused visa by the US State Department for not having $400 in cash to pay his share of the tuition. Fortunately, Swarthmore College paid everything for him.

He read Engineering and Economics major and he worked so hard that he became one of the best students of his class. He was particularly interested in the liberal arts model of education because it challenged him to think, analyze and solve complex problems. He loved the wonderful experience he had in the college so much that he made it known to the rest of the world.

With determination and hardwork, he became one of the favourite students in the college.

Years after accomplishing his undergraduate studies at Swarthmore College, he enrolled at the Berkeley Haas School of Business in California, where he completed his Masters in Business Administration.

As at the time he was leaving the country, the economy of Ghana was in turmoil. Inflation, rising cost of living, unemployment,

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Dr. Patrick Awuah had a great time working with Microsoft Corporation for almost a decade. He rose through the ranks to become a Program Manager.

While he was working at Microsoft, the annual revenues of that company grew larger than the GDP of the Republic of Ghana.

One of the reasons why this occurred was that the employees were hardworking, persistent, creative and empowered. But there were also some external factors: free markets, the rule of law and infrastructure. These things were provided by institutions run by the people that he calls leaders. He believes that those leaders did not emerge spontaneously; somebody trained them to do the work that they do.

Like other well meaning Africans in foreign lands, he dreamed of returning home and giving back what he had acquired in the United States to society. However, his hopes were dashed due to what he calls the prevailing economic hardship, corruption and bad leadership in Ghana at the time. One day, one of his bosses at Microsoft solicited funds for charity in a certain region in Africa. He was really touched and from that time his mind was set on Africa again. He thought of returning home despite the fact that he had settled down in a comfortable home in Seattle and was earning a good salary at Microsoft.

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Initially, he wanted to start a software company in Ghana because his background was in software development. He however realized that students studying computer science in the public universities in Ghana were only learning to code on paper without using computers. Besides, where there were computers, only few were functioning so it quickly dawned on him to find the human capital that would enable him to build a successful software company.

According to Patrick, behind every challenge were people in position of responsibility who were neither fixing the problems nor creating solutions. Very few seemed to care, and even those who did were resigned to the status quo. Again, he strongly believes that if we want different results, we must try something different.

Later, he realized that the issue was a leadership problem in Africa and so there was the need to transform young Africans into passionate, innovative problem solvers with great skills to address Africa’s complex real-world problems. There was also the need for them to have a strong sense of ethics so they would have the motivation to stay in Africa and work to transform the continent. He thought that establishing a liberal arts model of a tertiary institution was the best option to meeting those needs.

He therefore held several conversations with people about Africa and its development. Eventually, he quit the highly

Dr. Patrick Awuah As an Entrepreneur lucrative job with the technology giant and in 1998, he and a team of friends came down to Ghana to carry out a feasibility study on creating a private university that would serve as a model of quality education to help create the country’s next generation of leaders.

He was inspired by the saying of Goethe, a famous German writer that, “If there is anything you can do or dream you can, begin it.

Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now.” This informed his choice of Ashesi which means “new beginning” in the Fanti dialect of the Akan language of Ghana. He was once quoted as saying that what Africans needed were smart, educated and problem solving leaders. He thought of establishing Swarthmore kind of institution in Africa, hence the setting up of Ashesi University College in March 2002. It started with thirty students in a rented building at Cantonments, a suburb of Accra.

At the time that the university was created, there were few private tertiary institutions in Ghana and the traditional universities, comprising University of Ghana, University of Cape Coast and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology were considered the best in the country. Today, the number of private tertiary institutions in the country has skyrocketed.

According to Dr. Patrick Awuah Jnr., two major challenges he faced when he was setting up Ashesi University were getting accreditation and funding. He first had to convince the educational authorities in Ghana that it would be a good idea if they would permit him to experiment with the liberal arts approach to educating his students. He argued that with liberal arts as major, students would

be challenged to think, analyze and solve problems. He wanted to develop education that had a breadth requirement so that students, irrespective of their major, would be able to take a broad set of courses. This convinced the authorities in Ghana to grant him accreditation. The other challenge was funding. He could not fund the project alone so he raised funds from corporate bodies and friends.

Ashesi University College continues to grow from strength to strength through his dynamic leadership. Currently, it has a population of about six hundred students. In 2009, he helped break the grounds for a new campus at Brekuso in the Eastern Region of Ghana.

He once said, “There are times when it seems like mission impossible. But we must believe that these students are smart; that if we involve them in their education, if we have them discuss the real issues that they confront - that our whole society confronts - and if we give them skills that enable them to engage the real world, that magic will happen.”

Again, he wishes that Africa would have more liberal arts colleges.

“It will make a huge difference,” he explains. “We need to aim to train leaders of exceptional integrity, who have the ability to confront the complex problems, ask the right questions, and come up with workable solutions. A broad curriculum is a powerful way of shaping this kind of thinking.” He believes that with the right attitude, honesty, hardwork and good governance, Africa would rub shoulders with the Western World.

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Achievements

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n 2015, Fortune Magazine named DR. PATRICK G. AWUAH Jnr. among its World’s 50 Greatest Leaders, for his work in establishing Ashesi; a list that included Pope Francis, Apple CEO-Tim Cook and former CEO of Microsoft Bill-Gates.

Patrick was nominated as a Global Leader (2007) by the World Economic Forum; and in recognition of his service to Ghana, was awarded Membership of the Order of the Volta by His Excellency, President J. A. Kufuor in July 2007. The Order of the Volta is one of Ghana’s highest awards, given to individuals who exemplify the ideals of service to the country.

In November 2009, he won two prestigious awards; the 2009 Microsoft Alumni Foundation “Integral Fellow” award, a program honouring Microsoft Alumni who have made a meaningful difference in the daily lives of others by using their talents, time and resources to contribute to the community and the John P. McNulty Prize, Aspen Institute, which also recognizes an extraordinary young leader making creative, effective, and lasting contributions to his or her community.

In April 2010, Patrick was declared the winner for the Best Entrepreneur in Tertiary Education Award. This was in recognition of his outstanding entrepreneurial achievement in sustaining economic growth, financial success, generating employment and innovation within Ghana.

In May, 2010 he was selected as the 8th Most Respected CEO in Ghana out of a top ten ranking (based on a survey of over 200 CEOs) and again in 2012, was selected as the 4th Most Respected CEO in Ghana.

On December 4, 2010, he was again awarded the Millennium Excellence Award for Educational Development, Fast Company Magazine, based in the US, also ranked him as one of the 100 Most Creative People in Business that year.

In December 2012, he received the ‘2012 Leading through Innovation Award’ from his alma mater, Haas Business School (UC Berkeley). The award celebrates Haas alumni who have achieved excellence as innovative leaders and who embody the principles of the school’s Leading Through Innovation strategy, thus serving as exemplers to others in the Berkeley-Haas community.

In March 2014, The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship named him Social Entrepreneur for the Year 2014, the only Ghanaian among thirty-seven others from Africa, in recognition of his innovative approach to social entrepreneurship and its potential for global impact.

He is a member of the Advisory Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid (ACVFA) of the U.S. Agency for International Development.

He is also a Fellow of the Africa Leadership Initiative (a branch of the Aspen Global Leadership Network), a member of the United States Council on Foreign Relations, the Pacific Council on International Policy, the GE Africa Learning Advisory Board and the United States Tau Beta Pi Honor Society for Excellence in Engineering.

Receiving an award at the World Economic Forum in 2014

Patrick speaking a the Ford Foundation

Ghana’s Most Respected CEO Award

Patrick speaking at freshmen orientation

04 June Swarthmore Doctorate

Family & Social Life

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r. Patrick Awuah is happily married to Rebecca Awuah with two children; Nana Yaw and Efia. The couple and their children live together in Accra since their return to the country over a decade ago. His American wife has been very supportive and has depicted the saying that, “Behind every successful man, there is a woman.”

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Despite his busy schedule, the Founder and President of one of the nation’s leading private universities spends quality time with his family. After a hard day’s work, he enjoys reading. He added that his usual activity is karate and he works out a minimum of three days a week.

Class of 2015

Visit to Dr. Patrick Awuah

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Ashesi University College

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shesi University was founded by Dr. Patrick Awuah. It was established as an independent, co-educational, public benefit education institution operating on a not-for-profit basis.The mission of Ashesi University College is to educate a new generation of ethical, entrepreneurial leaders in Africa; to cultivate within our students the critical thinking skills, the concern for others and the courage it will take to transform a continent.

The University offers four-year bachelor degrees in Business Administration, Computer Science and Engineering and Management Information Systems, based on a Liberal Arts core curriculum that nurture ethical thinking and fosters critical thinking by teaching students to explore the connections between fields of knowledge, to separate relevant information from the irrelevant, to question assumptions and to reflect on the views of others. The Ashesi education teaches students to be problem solvers.

Ashesi admits students of all races, colour, nationality, and ethnic origin to all its programs and makes available to these students all the rights and privileges, and the benefit of all programs and activities run by the university. The University does not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, nationality or ethnic

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origin in its admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and in all other spheres of its operation.

The University has quickly gained a reputation for excellence in Ghanaian higher education. Since the first graduating class, most of Ashesi’s graduates have found placements, started their own businesses or pursued postgraduate degrees in top universities around the globe. Over 90% of Ashesi graduates stay in Africa and they are working with efficiency, transparency and innovation in microfinance, technology, banking, NGOs and other areas. They improve the lives of fellow citizens and help grow Africa’s economy.

African businesses and NGOs value their strong problem solving skills, pro-active approach, and ethical integrity.

Ashesi establishes life-long relationship with students and its alumni continue to receive career, coaching and mentorship support long after their graduation. The career services office and alumni office collaborate to identify areas where the alumni need help, and provide support services to assist them excel in their dynamic careers.

“I try to motivate my students by sharing examples of how class subjects apply to their life beyond college.”

Dr. Charles Jackson w.PhD., P.E Assistant Professor, Computer Science (PhD, Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University).

In the quantitative methods, computer science, discrete math and data mining classes I teach, I tr y to motivate my students by sharing examples of how these subjects apply to their life beyond college. I am also passionate about introducing students to the open source software that enable them to compete globally even though they may not have the means to purchase expensive software packages used in colleges of the global north.

“I want to help students realize the significant impact that technology can have on problem solving.”

Dr. Ayorkor Korsah, Head of Computer Science, (PhD. In Robotics & Artificial Intelligence, Carnegie Mellon University).

I want to help students appreciate the breadth of computer science, and realize the significant impact that it can have on problem-solving from a wide variety of disciplines, from economics through biological sciences to education. I am committed to helping students develop problem-solving and critical reasoning skills, as well as confidence that they can be active agents of their own learning.

“We’re training students who are willing to learn, explore and challenge the status quo.”

“It is not about finding the brightest students but rather helping all students to develop their ability.”

Dr. Esi Ansah Assistant Professor, Business Administration (PdD., Public Administration, Rutgers University).

Anthony Ebow Spio Head of Business Administration (MSc. International Marketing, Strathclyde University).

We are training students who are innovative and don’t just think within the confines of what they know. They’re willing to learn, explore and challenge the status quo. And so when I look out there, and employers are telling me they need more of our students, that tells me we are doing something good.

“If you can create culture then you can change it.

In doing so, students can change society.”

Kobina Graham Lecturer, Arts & Sciences (MA International Studies & Diplomacy, School of Oriental & African Studies, University of London).

My ultimate aim as a teacher is to move students from social apathy towards a particularly African social empathy. I attempt this in two ways: first, by helping students to see and question the hegemonies within which they exist; secondly, by introducing them to the idea that they are not merely receivers of culture but Also creators of it, with all the responsibilities that this entail.

Learning is most effective when students are actively engaged and collaborate with their colleagues in the learning process and continually test, apply and reflect on the concept and theories they learn. My role is to facilitate the process by creating an environment and helping students learn in multiple ways that positively influence the way they think, feel and act.

“Engaging students in constructing their own learning extends to the design of learning tasks that take place outside of the classroom.”

Rebecca Awuah Head of Arts and Sciences (Master in Teaching, Seattle University).

All my classroom experiences are designed to get students actively engaged in developing for themselves the connections and “aha moments” that represents real learning and integration, and set the stage for application beyond the classroom. Engaging students in constructing their own learning extends to the design of learning tasks that take place outside of the classroom.

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Fun

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Time

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How Technology Is Affecting the Brain

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bout ten years ago, it was easy for some of us to recite the numbers of our contacts like a nursery rhyme. Today, I doubt if this trait can be said about many of us. The upgrade in technology, undoubtedly, has had some kind of effect on our ability to recall some basic things such as simple telephone numbers.

“Some cognition experts have praised the effects of tech on the brain, lauding its ability to organize our lives and free our minds for deeper thinking. Others fear tech has crippled our attention spans and made us uncreative and impatient when it comes to anything analog.” - Rebecca Hiscott. Several arguments on technology and A day with Dr.

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how it has rewired our brains have emerged and many experts can go back and forth on this until it spins out of control.

That notwithstanding, there are several instances where we can agree that technology somewhat has rewired our brains. Here are a few outlined by Rebecca Hiscott, Assistant editor for the American Academy of Neurology.

1. We dream in colour Television impacts our psyche so thoroughly; it may even affect our dreams. In 2008, a study conducted at Scotland’s Dundee

University found that adults over the age of 55 who had grown up in a household with a black and white television set were more likely to dream in black and white. Younger participants, who grew up in the age of Technicolor, nearly always experienced their dreams in colour.

The American Psychological Association seconded these findings in 2011.

Social media and the internet have also been shown to shorten our attention spans. Individuals immersed in digital media find it difficult to read books for long periods of time, and often skim articles online rather than reading every word. This phenomenon can be particularly troubling for youth, whose brains are more malleable and, therefore, may fail to develop concentration skills.

2. We experience Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) Fear of missing out (FOMO), defined by Ghana IT Society as “the blend of anxiety, inadequacy and irritation that can flare up while skimming social media,” seems fairly legit. Before Instagram and Facebook, people who chose to spend a quiet Saturday night at home with a glass of wine and a copy of the Daily Graphic might have felt a little guilty or sad they were not out whooping it up. But thanks to social media, that feeling is compounded by pictures and posts of delicious dinners and raging parties, plus endless videos of friends drinking beer. Even if none of these activities are your idea of fun, you will definitely recognize that feeling: “Should I be doing something else right now?” That is FOMO.

6. It leads to poorer impulse control Unfortunately, some studies have found that some video games can inhibit players’ ability to rein in impulsive or aggressive behavior.

Researchers concluded that forcing players to make snap decisions in violent situations inhibited “proactive executive control” over knee-jerk reactions and impulses, meaning they were more likely to react with immediate, unchecked hostility or aggression in real life.

Other studies have substantiated the idea of a link between violent video games (and other violent forms of media) and aggression and attention problems.

3. “Phantom vibration syndrome.”

In 2012, a study published in the journal, “Computers and Human Behavior,” revealed that 89% of the 290 undergraduates surveyed reported feeling “phantom vibrations,”- the physical sensation that their phone was vibrating, even when it wasn’t, once every two weeks. A survey of hospital workers found similar results. A research psychologist speaking on National Communication Authority (NCA) suggested that physical sensations, such as an itch, may now be misinterpreted by our brains as a vibrating phone.

4. We cannot sleep We technophiles are accustomed to falling asleep with laptops glowing softly by our beds, playing a soothing gospel, highlife or hip-life episodes to lull us into sleep. Others might end the day by reading the news on their iPads. But those comforting night time routines may actually be affecting our sleep patterns.

7. We create more Ending on a high note, tech makes it easier for artists and non-artists to engage with creative media. Author Clay Shirkey argues that the internet enhances what he calls “cognitive surplus,” the excess hours and brain power we can devote to pursuing activities and goals we enjoy. Social media, according to Shirkey, prompts users to engage with texts, images and videos in a way that simply watching television does not. As social media promotes a culture of sharing, users feel more inclined to create and share something of their own, be it a Flickr album, a book review, a contribution to Wikipedia or a DIY project.

Technology has its merits no doubt, but it can also take over our lives in a subtle way if it is not checked. We need to learn to balance the uses of technologyl and our brains in the daily activities we are engaged in.

Neuroscientists suspect the glowing lights emitted by laptop, tablet and smartphone screens mess with your body’s internal light cues and sleep-inducing hormones. Exposure to bright lights can fool the brain into thinking it is still day time, and can potentially have lasting effects on your internal sleep clock. Our eyes are especially sensitive to the blue light emitted by screens. This makes it harder to fall asleep, especially for those who already struggle with insomnia.

5. Our memory is not great, and neither is our attention span Some centuries ago, learning by rote was a prized skill so much that students were often expected to recite entire books from memory.

In our world today where information can be “googled”, we do not bother retaining facts, let alone whole book passages. In 2007, a neuroscientist polled 3,000 people and found that the younger respondents were less likely to remember standard personal information, such as a relative’s birthday or even their own phone number. Similarly, studies have shown that calculators may decrease simple mathematical skills.

Some people are unable to navigate their own cities without the help of GPS.

25

A day with Dr.

Patrick Awuah Jnr.

Hosted by Former President John Agyekum Kufour in 2010.

Hosted by Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo Addo in 2013.

Hosted by her Ladyship, the Chief Justice,

Mrs. Georgina Theodora Wood in 2011.

Hosted by Alhaji Asuma Abu Banda in 2012

Hosted by Dr. Mrs. Ellen Hagan in 2014

Impressions

BENNY TEIMAN

T

he trip to Ashesi University College on the 10th of April 2015 has had a positive impact on my life. I enjoyed the interaction we had with Dr. Patrick Awuah Jnr.

Prior to the visit, I did a research about the man behind the success of Ghana’s leading private university but it never revealed all the stuff about him until I had that wonderful encounter with him.

The first thing I noticed about him was the fact he respects time. I learnt from one of the students that he doesn’t like people who are late to functions. I also noticed some humility in our host. He spoke with us like the way he does with older people. He doesn’t boast of his achievements but he likes to share them with others.

Dr. Awuah likes children. I really enjoyed the warm reception he gave us. He treated us as if we were kings and queens. That was the first time I felt like a boss. We asked a lot of questions about his private life and he patiently and brilliantly gave us the answers.

Aside being intelligent, he has a good sense of humour. He is nice with every student in his university and they also like him. No wonder they affectionately call him Patrick for short.

These and other traits of Dr. Patrick Awuah distinguish him from other leaders I know.

Dr. Awuah has really changed my perception about life.

Before the visit, I thought I was learning for my parents so I wasn’t serious with my studies but now I have realized that “life is how you make it”. I have therefore resolved to work hard to brighten my future. God bless Dr. Awuah for the huge difference he is making in the lives of young Ghanaians.

A day with Dr.

Patrick Awuah Jnr.

BERNARD YOOFI SAM

I

thank the Almighty God for making our visit to Ashesi University College a successful event. My thanks also go to Gma for organizing such a wonderful trip and exposing us to one of the illustrious sons of Ghana. It marked the day I changed my mindset about life and began to get serious about what I have to do to achieve my aims and aspirations.

Even though I knew Dr. Awuah Jnr. before that historic visit, I never knew he was such an enterprising and visionary leader.

During the interaction session of the visit, I listened to the former Microsoft boss with rapt attention. The fact that he was able to establish a university is enough to conclude that he is determined to impact the lives of the youth in Ghana.

He introduced the liberal arts model of education so that his students would learn to think, analyze and solve complex problems. I think this is the kind of education we need in the country to turn things around. He said he was inspired by the saying of Goethe, a famous German writer that, “If there is anything you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now,” According to him, this has always been a source of inspiration to him to do something new. He said he quit Microsoft to help in nation-building despite the fact the he was making a lot of money there. Based on this, I describe him as someone who is patriotic, purposeful and selfless by all measure.

Again, I was fascinated by the humility and friendliness he demonstrated during the interaction. He spoke to us as if we were his classmates and he made us feel like bosses in the 21st century. It was during the interaction that I realized that it does not pay to be proud or boast of one’s achievements.

This has really changed my life for the better. Since the visit, I have learnt to be humble and get on with whoever I come into contact with.

One advice he gave us on that wonderful day was that we should be honest, obedient, focused and studious to be able to make it in life. I have therefore decided to follow his footsteps to better prepare my life towards the uncertain future and make my parents proud of me. In my candid opinion, Dr. Awuah epitomizes excellence and development.

28

I

CALVIN BOYE

wish to express my sincere gratitude to Mrs. Gloria Arthur for making this wonderful visit happen. It is not only a memorable visit but a very historic and educative encounter. It was the first time in my life that I met one of the great leaders of our time.

Dr. Patrick Awuah Jnr’s diligence and determination has often yielded fruits for the present generation. He always strives not only for his personal gain but for the benefit of all. He created a university ostensibly to provide quality education for the present generation so that they will also contribute meaningfully to the socio-economic development of our dear country.

Again, the fact that he left the fortune he was enjoying in the United States to improve the quality of life of the young Ghanaian demonstrates his vision for the country. This is selfless nature of man who has the nation at heart. I think it is one of the reasons why he has won many international and local awards.

It was during the interaction with him that I realized that determination and hardwork bring nothing but success.

To this end, I have made up my mind to burn the midnight candle so as to pass all my examinations and contribute my quota to building a better Ghana.

CINDY WUDDAH

T

he visit to Dr. Patrick Awuah Jnr. has left an indelible mark in my mind. It is one visit that challenged me to rise up and do something for myself so as to give a meaning to my life.

Dr. Patrick Awuah Jnr. is a kind of person who likes to share his success story with people, especially the youth so that they will be inspired to excel in life. The first thing I noticed about him is that he is a selfless leader. He left the highly lucrative job at Microsoft only to return home and help build Mother Ghana. It was a difficult decision yet he took it .

Secondly, he is someone who believes in hardwork. He never gives up on a task until he has accomplished it. He worked so hard to establish Ashesi University College, which turns out future generation of leaders, to take the mantle of leadership in Africa. In view of this, he teaches his students to think, analyze and solve complex problems. I understand he has won several awards in and outside the country, making him one of the most respected people in the country.

Dr. Patrick Awuah is a patriotic citizen. He abandoned the good things he was enjoying in the United States of America to help improve the educational standards of this country. I think we must all laud him for his invaluable contribution to education.

Dr. Patrick Awuah Jnr. continues to make a difference in the lives of many people. He encourages the youth to make the sky their limit. He strongly believes that if we want different results, we must try something different.

Since the visit, I have been working harder to be part of the next generation of future leaders and impact the lives of the young ones and those yet to be born.

29

A day with Dr.

Patrick Awuah Jnr.

Impressions

DEBORAH AYI

I

will always remember the day when we seized the opportunity to interact with the Founder and President of the leading private university in the country. It was such a wonderful trip that gave me the biggest platform to learn about what to do to be successful in life.

Initially, I felt a bit nervous because I had never in my life met such a high profile personality. When he started talking, I regained my composure because I realized that he was not the bossy type of person I expected. Despite his achievements, he is humble and a God-fearing. As he spoke, I could see that he is very intelligent, purposeful and business minded-person. He is vocal and he is able to get people to listen to him. Personally, I wished he wouldn’t finish talking because I enjoyed everything he said.

Dr. Awuah demonstrated his love for Mother Ghana throughout the interaction session by asking questions about the patriotic song we sang. It was because of his patriotism that he left Microsoft to help build Ghana. I think we should commend him for taking such a bold step.

As a student and teenager, I have learnt that people who humble themselves like Dr. Patrick Awuah always attract the blessings of God. Therefore, I have decided to always humble myself and work hard in order to make my parents proud of me in the near future.

A day with Dr.

Patrick Awuah Jnr.

30

M

DIONNE NEWLOVEKANDA

eeting Dr. Patrick Awuah has been a source of inspiration ever since. It is indeed a fulfilling experience, thanks to the management of our school for giving us such a wonderful exposure.

My second impression of him is the fact that he is a patriotic Ghanaian. He always thinks about Ghana more than his future. He left the highly lucrative job at Microsoft purposely to establish a university that produces future generation of leaders to help solve Africa’s numerous problems.

I realised during the interaction that he is friendly and very approachable. He is affectionately called Patrick by the students and employees of the university community.

Outside the classroom, he always helps them solve their problems.

I also realised that he is a visionary leader. He is always doing new things that will transform the African continent. For instance, he mentors young Africans to be of use to their countries. He also speaks on social platforms mostly on what we can do as a nation to develop Ghana. For me, I liken him to Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah for the good things he is doing for the nation.

He encouraged us to continue working hard in order to reach our goals. He also told us not to give up on our dreams, using the expression, “The sky is the limit.” Most importantly, he told us to include God in whatever we do so that we would attract His blessings. In a nutshell, the man is an invaluable asset not only to Mother Ghana, but the entire African continent. I learnt from the visit that as a Ghanaian I have a responsibility to contribute to the development of our country.

M

DOROTHY CHRISTIAN

eeting Dr. Patrick Awuah Jnr. has really had a positive impact on my life.

I thought he was someone who was always busy and had no time for children like us. He however gave us a reception that amazed all of us. This encouraged us to learn more from him.

He is a man who is nice with people but dislikes dishonesty and disrespect.

From my perspective, I saw him as a very patriotic individual.

This is because he asked several questions about the patriotic song we sang. He emphasized the point that he is a proud Ghanaian. Also, the fact he left Microsoft to help build the nation makes him a great leader.

I realised that he is a man of ethics. He is someone who always wants people to do the right things. Thus, he told us to be honest at all times so that we would win the trust of other people.

EWURA AMA ANKOMAH

I

t was privilege meeting and interacting with Dr. Patrick Awuah, the President and Founder Of Ashesi University. I thank him for the warm reception he gave us on the day of the historic visit.

He suspended all his engagements that day for the sake of our visit. For me, Dr. Patrick Awuah is the kind of person who believes in the total transformation of the African continent.

He established the university to train the next generation of future leaders to help solve the myriad of problems that confront the continent.

Again, he is an honest man and so he wants everybody to behave as such. He hates students who cheat in examinations.

He told us that one of the things we could do to be successful in life is to speak the truth at all times. He advised us to avoid lies and refrain from acts that would mar our future.

I enjoyed every bit of what he said. He is very articulate and he answered all our questions with brilliance. Every single word he uttered had a positive impact on us.

Despite his calm demeanuor, Dr. Awuah has a good sense of humour. He lightened the atmosphere intermittently with jokes that kept me laughing throughout the interaction. It was a kind of wonderful encounter with the man who has achieved so much in life.

He also spoke about examination malpractices and advised us to avoid such practices because they reduce the value of one’s life.

In fact, the visit was beneficial. I learned that it pays to work hard. I now look at the brighter side of life and I hope that with the right attitude I can also make it in life.

Our visit to Dr. Patrick Awuah Jnr. has really inspired me and I am very hopeful that with hardwork, I will get to where he is today .

31

A day with Dr.

Patrick Awuah Jnr.

Impressions

HILLARY DANSOWAA BERKO

EWURESI FOLSON

I

enjoyed every bit of the visit we paid to the Founder and President of Ashesi University. It was the first time I had the opportunity to talk to a high profile Ghanaian.

A

fter that wonderful encounter with Dr. Patrick Awuah Jnr. on 10th April 2015, I realized that Ihad met a prominent personality with an inspiring life.

My second impression of Dr. Awuah is that he is someone who doesn’t blow his own trumpet. Instead, he uses his achievements to inspire others to even do more than what he has done. No wonder he has won so many awards in and outside the country.

Upon our arrival, the first thing that caught my attention was the campus. It is extremely beautiful with modern architectural design. The fact that he has established such a university is enough to say that he believes in quality education.

Again, he is a very calm and humble gentleman. This was evident in the way he interacted with us during the visit.

He spoke to us as if we were his schoolmates. From that day onwards, I decided to be humble at all times so as to win the admiration of all and sundry.

Dr. Patrick Awuah Jnr. is a patriotic citizen who is concerned about the well- being of his country. This is because he expressed profound interest in the patriotic song we sang (Asem yi di ka) and kept asking questions about it. He explained that the lyrics in the National Anthem should be taken seriously and that we should be bold, honest and defend our nation’s integrity at all times. I also believe that he left the highly paid job at Microsoft to come down and help develop the nation. This and other things he has done make him one of the most respected CEOs in the country.

I also realized that he is one person who doesn’t give up until he has achieved whatever he wants to. Despite the hurdles he faced in establishing his university, he still continues to offer Ghanaians the quality education they deserve. He said he is always inspired by what a popular German writer once wrote, “Whatever you can do or dream you can begin it.

He added that this quote motivated him to create a university hence, Ashesi, which means beginning. In fact, I am equally inspired to begin doing new things not only for myself but for the benefit of the nation.

He advised us to take our studies seriously. He also told us that as we face our own set of problems, we should not fret but have faith and pray over them for God would see us through. I have learnt that if I work hard and have faith in God, I will get to where Dr. Awuah is today.

A day with Dr.

Patrick Awuah Jnr.

32

Dr. Patrick Awuah’s advice to us was that the sky is the limit, and that we should continue to work hard. He has really changed the way I think about life. I am very grateful to him for his advice and encouragement.

JASON ARMAH WALDEN

T

he April 10 2015 visit to the Founder and President of Ghana’s leading private University College was very educative, informative and an inspiring.

Earlier on, I had my own perception about him. I thought of him as a very busy entrepreneur who would want to meet business people rather than spending his time with us, but the truth is that he has time for everybody. He likes children and he is always ready to mentor them. It was therefore not a surprise when he set up a first class university to train the youth to acquire the requisite skills and knowledge needed to transform the country.

During the interaction with him, he proved himself to be confident, honest, disciplined and above all God-fearing.

We asked him several questions about his personal life and Ashesi University College and he answered all of them to our satisfaction.

He told us to desist from acts that will jeopardise our lives and instead lead honest and rewarding lives. Now, I have realised that I have to sow a good seed today, not only for myself but also for the entire nation.

JASON TESCHMAKER

V

isiting and interacting with one of the illustrious sons of Mother Ghana was quite rewarding.

Upon seeing him, immediately, I knew he was a business minded person who keeps to his time. I also noticed that he is very friendly to all his students and that anytime they have any problem they go to him for help. They call him Patrick for short and he loves that. Due to this, he has been able to establish a rapport with all his students and faculty members of the university.

Again, I realized that he is a good speaker. He is very articulate and has a way of getting everybody to listen to him. He carefully and perfectly chooses his words making his diction one of the best in the world. He is a good listener too and he respects other people’s views.

Finally, he is patriotic and he always wants to do something special for the youth of this country. For instance, he left the comfort he was enjoying in the United States to build a not- for profit university that offers quality education to Ghanaians. For me, he deserves more commendation than he has already had. I will also learn hard so that when I grow up, I will be able to help others.

33

A day with Dr.

Patrick Awuah Jnr.

Impressions

JOHN ANTWI NUAMAH JNR.

I

was very much enthused when it was announced that we were going to visit one of the enterprising and highly respected men in our country. I thank the Managing Director of our dear school for planning and organizing this wonderful trip.

I was one of those students who knew very little about Dr. Patrick Awuah Jnr. but I was determined to see and learn some lesson from this great man. Before the visit, I thought of him as someone who was always busy going about his business with little or no time for students like us. It however turned out that people of our age are precisely the ones he cherishes most.

The amazing reception coupled with the friendly gestures he demonstrated were enough to say that he really likes children.

I noticed that he is someone who is calm, humble, focused and respects the rights of others. He is nice with all his students and employees and this has earned him their admiration.

Again, Dr. Patrick Awuah Jnr. is not the bossy type of entrepreneur who is difficult to approach and whose views must always be respected. Instead, he has an open door policy which in my opinion is a hallmark of a good leader. Because of this, all his students like him.

For Dr. Patrick Awuah Jnr. to work with Microsoft as a Programme Director is no mean achievement. He is one of the few Africans who have won many awards and are highly respected in the continent. Indeed, he is a great leader and an asset not only to the good people of Ghana but to the entire African continent.

Finally, he said we should have faith in God and then work hard in order to achieve our aims and aspirations. I am very much inspired by his achievements and wisdom. I have resolved to study hard in order to pass my exams with flying colours.

A day with Dr.

Patrick Awuah Jnr.

34

JOSEHPINE ALIMO

U

pon our arrival, we were met with a rousing welcome from a section of the students that really amazed me.

True to his words, he was there in person waiting for our arrival.

Dr. Patrick Awuah Jnr. is very good at public speaking. He is very articulate and has a good sense of humour. He was able to get everybody to listen to him. Even though he spoke with an American accent, we heard every single word he uttered.

After seeing the magnificent campus of the university and the way the students were going about their studies,I was so impressed. I have made up my mind to enrol in Ashesi University after my secondary education. He advised us to be honest and respect everybody we come into contact with.

KWABENA ANYANG AKYEAMPONG

LEMUEL OKUTU

I

wish to express my profound gratitude to Dr. Patrick Awuah Jnr for his time and advice. It has been a wonderful experience and it will forever be remembered.

I know several Ghanaians who are doing so much in their respective fields of endeavour but I never knew there was someone who was so interested in the well being of the youth until we visited him on the 10th of April, 2015.

The aspect of the visit I remember most was the interactive session. He is someone who likes to share his experiences with the youth so that they will also use the right path to making their dreams come to pass. He told us a lot of stories about his personal life and the strategies he used to get this far. Among the things he said was the fact that he worked very hard at Swarthmore College and Microsoft to rise tothe top.

Dr. Patrick Awuah is a calm and humble personality. He respects everyone around him regardless of their rank. He spoke to us in a friendly manner and as if we were his pals.

Besides, he does not discriminate. His door is always opened to everybody in the university. It is indeed a clear sign of a good leader and it is because of this and other things that all his students like him.

I am deeply enthused by his achievements. It is therefore not surprising that former President John Agyekum Kuffour honoured him with Membership of the Order of Volta and Millennium Excellence Award for Educational Development in 2007.

Finally, he is someone who loves his country. He quit his job at Microsoft to help improve tertiary education in Ghana. He uses his own money to travel around the globe to raise funds for some of his students who are on scholarships. He is doing everything within his ability to change Africa for the better.

I pray that God continues to bless him and his family for the good work he is doing for humanity.

I have learned that you don’t have to be rich to help others.

We can help people in diverse ways to get their dreams to materialize.

I

thank Gma, the Managing Director of our prestigious school, for organizing this wonderful trip to one of the seasoned social entrepreneurs of our country. The visit was quite beneficial to those of us who had not had that experience before.

Dr. Patrick Awuah likes children. He believes that when they are brought up well and given the right training, they will contribute meaningfully to society. He did speak about his life from childhood to adulthood because he wanted us to tap into his rich experience to better our lives. In fact, I couldn’t believe myself talking to the man who was part of those who made Microsoft the leading technology giant in the world.

I also noticed that he is someone who believes in hard work and team-building. I think it was by dint of hardwork and discipline that he was elevated to the enviable position of a Programme Manager at Microsoft. To this end, he emphatically stated that success does not depend on only academics but on emotional and social intelligence.

Dr. Awuah is one of the few Africans who are very optimistic about the future of Africa. He established Ashesi University to equip young Africans with the right attitude, skills and knowledge to enable them solve the continent’s numerous problems. I wish I were one of his students but I hope someday I will join them. I remember him saying that in order to be successful in life we must be disciplined, honest, confident and above all fear God. I think he is a role model for all of us.

Since the visit, my life has changed for the better. I take my studies seriously because I know at the end of the day something of great value will come out of it.

35

A day with Dr.

Patrick Awuah Jnr.

Impressions

LYSANDA SAM-WOODE

I

will always remember the day when we seized the opportunity to interact with Dr. Patrick Awuah. I thank Gma for such a wonderful trip.

The first thing that caught my attention immediately we arrived was the wonderful buildings which welcomed us to the university.

Initially, I felt a bit nervous because I had never in my life met such a high profile personality. As he spoke, I could see that he is a very intelligent, purposeful and serious-minded person.

I also realized that he is someone who gets on with people no matter who they are and where they are coming from. He spoke with us as if we were his classmates and we felt encouraged to learn more from him.

Dr. Patrick Awuah is very generous. He uses his own money to fund some of his students’ education. Again, he travels to other countries to solicit funds to support some of the needy but brilliant students at Ashesi so that they too can enjoy quality education for the benefit of society.

Again, Dr. Awuah has immeasurable love for his country. He left the luxury he was enjoying in the United States of America to help transform Ghana. I think we should commend him for taking such a bold step.

When I grow up, I will work hard, earn a lot of money and support needy but brilliant students to achieve their aims in life.

A day with Dr.

Patrick Awuah Jnr.

36

LYSANDRA SAM- WOODE

O

ur visit to Dr. Patrick Awuah Jnr. was one of the few trips I will forever remember. It has given me the confidence to face the future.

Our host looked much younger than I thought. He likes children because he has a strong conviction that if they are nurtured appropriately, they will be able to solve the myriad of problems facing society today.

Despite his achievements, he is humble, friendly and approachable to all. He relates very well with all the students and lecturers at Ashesi University and they all like him.

He is the kind of person who always does something to benefit society. He created the university on not-for- profit basis to serve as a model of quality education in the entire African continent. He encourages his students to offer community service after graduation because that is where their services are needed most.

Dr. Patrick Awuah Jnr. is a true Pan-African who believes that Africans have what it takes to develop the continent. He said when he was in the United States, he always thought of returning home to help train the next generation of leaders who will serve as agents of change. I liken him to Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah because they both have so much in common.

I am inspired by his ideals to do a lot more with my life so that I can also be of use to society in the near future.

MICHELLE AMEVOR

MAAME EFUA MENSAH

M

y heartfelt gratitude goes to Dr. Patrick Awuah Jnr. for the wonderful reception he gave us on the day of the visit. Talking and listening to him have really changed my perception about life and I am happy about it.

Before the visit, I thought we were just going to see him and the beautiful Ashesi University campus but I didn’t know it would be of immense benefit to us. I also thought he was someone in his late 60s but upon seeing him I realized he is a young man with a lot of energy.

I got carried away by the beautiful scenery and ultra-modern buildings that greet first time visitors to the university. There and then I got an impression that he is a visionary leader.

Secondly, I realized, during the interaction, that he is a good speaker. He is very articulate and he speaks the American brand of English. Thus, he gets a lot of invitation to speak at special functions. This has therefore earned him both local and international recognition.

He also likes children. He was particularly happy about our presence and not a minute passed without giving us advice on what we could do to be successful. He treated us as he would do to kings and queens. I think it is because of this that he created Ashesi to offer quality education to the youth of this country.

Dr. Patrick Awuah Jnr. is a patriotic citizen. The fact that he left United States of America to help develop Mother Ghana showed his love for his country. Now, I know that success doesn’t come on a silver platter but through discipline and hardwork. I will therefore do my best to get to where he is today .

T

he visit to Ashesi University College was one of the greatest moments in my life. It marked the day I decided to take up the challenge to study hard to achieve my aims

and aspirations.

My mindset about life completely changed the moment I set my eyes on him. He looked much younger than I thought.

Dr. Patrick Awuah is someone who demonstrates humility at all times. He treated us like his peers. It was the first time I felt like a boss.

Dr. Patrick Awuah is a great achiever. He was part of the success story of Microsoft . He is one of the few Africans who have won numerous awards for their sterling contributions to society. He still continues to support the youth to unearth their potentials.

This is a hallmark of a good leader.

He has excellent communication skills. He often gets invitations to speak at local and international seminars about Africa and the projects he is doing in Ghana. Thus, he is internationally recognized as one of the greatest speakers in the world.

Finally, he is an honest man. He hates people who steal, cheat or lie. That is why the university community adopted an Honour Code to put students in charge of their ethical posture. He said we should be honest and have confidence in whatever we say or do and always take responsibility for our actions.

I really enjoyed the time we had with Dr. Patrick Awuah. I intend to enroll at Ashesi University after my secondary education so that I can also enjoy the right tertiary education that will propel me towards a brighter future.

He is in no doubt an asset to the present generation. May the Almighty God abundantly bless him for the good work he is doing for corporate Ghana.

37

A day with Dr.

Patrick Awuah Jnr.

Impressions

NANCY BANNERMAN

I

never thought I would ever get the opportunity to talk to one of the illustrious sons of our dear country at this stage of my life. But on the 10th of April, 2015 the impossible happened at Ashesi University College where my friends and I had the privilege to interact with Dr. Patrick Awuah, the Founder and President of the university.

Dr. Patrick Awuah is an achiever and has a taste for quality things. I was amazed at the beautiful Ashesi campus and the wonderful students who caught my attention upon arrival.

Everything about the university is of international standard and much more appealing than I thought. I wished I were one of the students receiving quality education in Computer Science.

My second impression of him is the fact he is someone who strongly believes in teamwork. It was through this that he was able to rise to the enviable position of a Programme Manager at Microsoft Corporation in the United States. Again, he collaborated with other people to get his Ashesi dream materialized.

He also believes that society must train leaders to enable them serve their people well. He maintains that Ashesi University was established to produce a new generation of ethical, entrepreneurial and innovative leaders to solve Africa’s problems.

Finally, I realized that he is someone who encourages students to work hard to achieve their aims. I learnt from him that, “You never know till you have tried something and you are never too old to learn; never too late to turn.” His advice to us was that we should never lose confidence wherever we find ourselves and never give up but improve upon what we love doing best.

I will follow his exemplary life so as to be a blessing not only to my family but to the entire nation.

A day with Dr.

Patrick Awuah Jnr.

38

M life.

PAUL AGBO

eeting Dr. Patrick Awuah Jnr. has really had a positive impact on my life. It was a very educative and inspiring encounter with the man who has achieved so much in

I thought Ashesi University was like other private universities that have sprung up in the country but when we got there it was one of its kind in the country. The architectural design of its buildings are simply amazing comparable to the universities in the United States. It runs cutting edge courses that are taught by seasoned professors from top universities from Europe and North America.

The brain behind this high ranking private university is Dr. Patrick Awuah Jnr. In my opinion, he is a very humble gentleman because he doesn’t boast of his achievements.

Instead he always does new things to help others.

Dr. Patrick Awuah Jnr believes in hardwork. He made comments which inspired me to strive for success. He said challenges would come into our lives but we must strive to overcome them. He taught me that hard work pays so I must work hard.

Again, he is a very caring husband. Despite his busy schedule, he spends a lot of time with his family and he also provides all their needs. It is therefore not surprising when he told us that his family meant everything to him.

Since the visit, I have resolved to do my best in school in order to be like him in future.

T

PETER-NEWMAN MESSAN

he visit to Ashesi University College marked the beginning of a new dawn in my life. This landmark encounter with Dr. Patrick Awuah was very thrilling, inspiring, educative and it will forever be remembered.

Prior to the visit, I expected to see a man in his 60s dressed in formal clothes with a loud booming voice. He however turned out to be a youngman with a soft voice toned in the American accent. He is time-conscious and he makes good use of his time. By the time we got there, he was pacing around his chair with a cup of coffee in his hand and intermittently glancing at us, waiting for the programme to start.

I caught a whiff of his sense of patriotism when he challenged us to have a deeper understanding of the National Anthem. He always dreams of producing ethical and visionary leaders to help develop the continent.

PRINCE BEN OFOSU-APPIAH

T

he trip to Ashesi University College was one that I will never forget. I don’t regret at all being part of the students who journeyed to that wonderful university.

Although I had heard of Ashesi University College, I didn’t know that the brain behind it was Dr. Patrick Awuah Jnr. until we paid him a visit. Immediately, I began to admire him and therefore decided that he was going to be my role model. Talking of my earlier expectation of him, I was looking forward to meeting someone in his mid 60s considering his achievements. On the contrary, he looked pretty young.

He advised us to work hard to achieve what we want to and make the country a better place. By following, his exemplary life, I will be able to offer something of great value to Mother Ghana.

I learnt that I should never be afraid to step out and make a difference. I also learnt that we should think beyond our challenges and project into the future. I have a strong conviction that if I follow his footsteps, I will be able to lead a more fulfilling life in future.

39

A day with Dr.

Patrick Awuah Jnr.

Impressions

TIFFANY ASARE MANTEY

D

r. Patrick Awuah Jnr. believes that the youth must be given the right education and empowered to take leadership positions in Africa. Hence, his setting up of Ashesi University College to train students to think, analyze and solve complex problems.

He is also someone who believes in cultural diversity. His university admits students from different parts of Africa. They are taught to tolerate and respect other people’s culture, which I think other Ghanaian universities must emulate.

He is also an honest man. He hates people who cheat, steal or lie. That is the reason he introduced the Honour Code at Ashesi to prevent students from cheating in examinations. Truly, it is a kind of university I would wish to attend after I complete Senior Secondary School.

Dr. Awuah taught me that challenges should not stop me from reaching my dreams. He said we should understand what we read or recite instead of reading for pleasure without understanding. He did this by bringing our minds back to what the words of the national anthem mean to all of us. He is no doubt an inspiration to the present generation. I will apply what I have learned from this visionary leader so that I can also make a difference in people’s lives.

A day with Dr.

Patrick Awuah Jnr.

40

D

YESHA SANAKEY

espite his calm demeanour, he is a very firm and assertive leader. I believe it is one of the reasons for his success as an entrepreneur.

He is always determined to help in the total transformation of the African continent. Thus, Ashesi’s curriculum was designed to produce the next generation of leaders with ethical values to solve the problems of the day. That is why most Ashesi graduates are hot cakes in the country.

Again, he is a man who values his heritage and acknowledges his root. He left Microsoft because he thought he had to give back to society. That makes him one of the selfless leaders Africa has ever had.

Furthermore, he is someone who strives to achieve excellence no matter the hurdle. Despite the challenges he faced, he never gave up in making his Ashesi dream a reality. Also, he was able to finish his secondary education despite the numerous problems he faced at the time. This is a clear indication that he was more than determined to make it in life.

Dr. Patrick Awuah Jnr is my role model and I urge the youth of our country to emulate his exemplary life. I will work hard to be like him so that I will be in the position to help the young ones develop their full potentials for the benefit of the nation.

T

The Healing Power of Lemon

he health benefits of lemon have been known for centuries. The two biggest are lemons’ strong antibacterial, antiviral, and immune-boosting powers and they are used as a weight loss aid because lemon juice is a digestive aid and liver cleanser. Lemons contain many substances notably citric acid, calcium, magnesium, vitamin C, bioflavonoids, pectin, and limonene-that promote immune system and fight infection.

The Medicinal Benefits of Drinking Warm Lemon Water Every Morning 1). Lemon juice flushes out unwanted materials and toxins from the body. Its atomic composition is similar to saliva and the hydrochloric acid of digestive juices. It encourages the liver to produce bile which is an acid that is required for digestion. Lemons are also high in minerals and vitamins and help loosen alma, or toxins, in the digestive tract. The digestive qualities of lemon juice help to relieve symptoms of indigestion, such as heartburn, belching and bloating.

The American Cancer Society actually recommends offering warm lemon water to cancer sufferers to help stimulate bowel movements.

2). Lemon juice helps flush out unwanted materials in part because lemons increase the rate of urination in the body. Therefore toxins are released at a faster rate which helps keep your urinary tract healthy. The citric acid in lemons helps maximize enzyme function, which stimulates the liver and aids in detoxification.

3). The energy a human receives from food comes from the atoms and molecules in your food. A reaction occurs when the positive charged ions from food enter the digestive tract and interact with the negative charged enzymes. Lemon is one of the few foods that contain more negative charged ions, providing your body with more energy when it enters the digestive tract. The scent of lemon also has mood enhancing and energizing properties. The smell of lemon

juice can brighten your mood and help clear your mind. Lemon can also help reduce anxiety and depression.

4). Lemons are high in vitamin C, which is great for fighting colds. They’re high in potassium, which stimulates brain and nerve function.

Potassium also helps control blood pressure.

Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) found in lemons demonstrates anti-inflammatory effects, and is used as complementary support for asthma and other respiratory symptoms plus it enhances iron absorption in the body; iron plays an important role in immune function.

Lemons also contain saponins, which show antimicrobial properties that may help keep cold and flu at bay. Lemons also reduce the amount of phlegm produced by the body.

5). Lemons are one of the most alkalizing foods for the body. Sure, they are acidic on their own, but inside our bodies they’re alkaline (the citric acid does not create acidity in the body once metabolized). Lemons contain both citric and ascorbic acid, weak acids easily metabolized from the body allowing the mineral content of lemons to help alkalize the blood. Disease states only occur when the body pH is acidic. Drinking lemon water regularly can help to remove overall acidity in the body, including uric acid in the joints, which is one of the primary causes of pain and inflammation.

6). Besides fresher breath, lemons have been known to help relieve tooth pain and gingivitis. Be aware that citric acid can erode tooth enamel, so you should be mindful of this. No not brush your teeth just after drinking your lemon water. It is best to brush your teeth first, then drink your lemon water, or wait a significant amount of time after to brush your teeth. Additionally, you can rinse your mouth with purified water after you finish your lemon water.

7). The vitamin C component as well as other antioxidants helps decrease wrinkles and blemishes and it helps to combat free radical damage. Vitamin C is vital for healthy

glowing skin while its alkaline nature kills some types of bacteria known to cause acne.

It can actually be applied directly to scars or age spots to help reduce their appearance.

Since lemon water purges toxins from your blood, it would also be helping to keep your skin clear of blemishes from the inside out. The vitamin C contained in the lemon rejuvenates the skin from within your body.

8). Ascorbic acid (vitamin C), found in abundance in lemons, promotes wound healing, and is an essential nutrient in the maintenance of healthy bones, connective tissue, and cartilage. As noted previously, vitamin C also displays anti-inflammatory properties. Combined, vitamin C is an essential nutrient in the maintenance of good health and recovery from stress and injury.

9). Lemons are high in pectin fiber, which helps fight hunger cravings. Studies have shown people who maintain a more alkaline diet, do in fact lose weight faster. I personally find myself making better choices throughout the day, if I start my day off right, by making a health conscious choice to drink warm lemon water first thing every morning.

10). Warm water and lemon juice supports the immune system by hydrating and replacing fluids lost by your body. When your body is deprived of water, you can definitely feel the side effects, which include: feeling tired, sluggish, decreased immune function, constipation, lack of energy, low/high blood pressure, lack of sleep, lack of mental clarity and feeling stressed, just to name a few.

HOW TO DO IT: Purified water must be used and it should be lukewarm not scalding hot.

Do not use ice cold water, since that can be a lot for your body to process and it takes more energy to process ice cold water than the warm type. Always use fresh lemons, organic if possible, never bottled lemon juice. Squeeze 1/2 a lemon with each glass and drink it down first thing before eating a single thing, or workout, etc.

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Legacy Girls College

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