Back | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Next

Matthew Cushing
Study Abroad, Spring 2005

I first found out I would be attending Ashesi University during my stay in Ghana while I was still living at home, in the United States. At that time the institution was nothing more than a name to me. Upon arriving in Ghana I could not have believed that the students and faculty at Ashesi, as well as my host family would be so welcoming to me. It was the hospitality I was shown both inside and outside Ashesi that has made my stay in Ghana so enjoyable.

During the first week of the school year, the students in my class reached out to me. I was already very self-conscious of being a foreigner, and being some years younger than the rest of my classmates. However, my classmates were very eager to make my stay in Ghana a pleasant one. Very often, they would ask me how I was doing, and if I was enjoying my stay. They made a conscious effort to open themselves up to me early in my stay.

I was very pleased to learn that the teaching methods, as well as the facilities used by Ashesi were similar to those of my old school in the United States. Instead of lecturing us for the period and then assigning work, the professors worked hard to involve the students. Even though I did not have some of the prerequisites for courses like calculus and microeconomics, the professors were always willing to give extra help, whether it be in class or out.

As I spent more and more time at Ashesi I got closer and closer to my peers. Instead of only spending time together in class, we began hanging out everyday at the hostel together. Instead of only doing school work together, we were now getting dinner together. I thought I was enjoying myself early on in my stay, but it could not compare to what I was experiencing at the end of my trip. I hope I have made a lasting impression on my friends at Ashesi because I know they have on me.

I can’t imagine what my stay in Ghana would have been like, had I been at a different school. I do not believe I would have had as much fun or felt as accepted as I have felt at Ashesi. When I think of the reasons why I enjoyed my stay in Ghana, many times one word will come to mind, Ashesi. I will always remember my stay at Ashesi and I will always consider Ghana my second home.

Back | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Next

Copyright © Ashesi University Foundation. All rights reserved.