My first week at ASA
By Emmanuella Agormeda-Tetteh, Ghana (Class of 2020)
I was the last to arrive on the first day at school quite later in the day after everyone else was present! I thought I was going to have an exhausting night unpacking and getting comfortable generally. However our lovely hostel guardian, Auntie Beatrice, helped me to get my luggage out of the car and into my new “home”. It was an interesting evening I must say. I met with all the other girls of this year’s cohort. I was excited by the idea of having to live with and learn with twenty-two other brilliant girls in STEM. It was even more amazing that these girls collectively come from seven (7) countries. I am learning a lot and from different perspectives of life every single day.
This week has been everything. It has been very eye-opening for me; from hearing stories from volunteers and being exposed to several opportunities. I realise that so much is expected of me but that everyone here is ready to help me succeed. I have been plunged into a world of so much more than I could imagine. A world of curiosity. A world of excellence. At ASA, every day, we girls get the opportunity to express ourselves and to share our stories. We get the opportunity to have one-on-one interactions with our teachers, volunteers and mentors. This was very new to me and I find myself enjoying every bit of it.
Meeting Tom Ilube, CBE (turns out it doesn’t only stand for Central Bank of Ethiopia!) was one of the highlights for me. I remember looking him up on the internet and the next moment he was right there! He was only with us for a few moments, but I can confidently say he left a huge impact on me. His passion for introducing STEM to young African girls like me was very infectious. He taught me to always ask questions and to appreciate the little and big things that people do for me. It was impressive that he took time off his busy schedule to be with us, to interact with us and share knowledge with us.
Each day rolled by with its own intricate story, adventure and lessons. But the things that stood out for me are:
The ASA way is honesty, innovation, integrity for Africa
Always have a question to ask; Be curious
And a wonderful quote: “If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants” – Isaac Newton