Bible, earrings and book cover design

I was waiting for my friend after church one day when there was a leadership meeting going on. An Associate Pastor asked what I was doing, and said I should get involved. Then the Lead Pastor encouraged me to organise Bible studies groups for people in my community. A few years later, a friend suggested I be a course representative, and my lecturer put me forward too. Then another friend encouraged me to stand as part of the student council, and I became the General Secretary.

I feel very fortunate that people saw these qualities within me and kept inviting or nominating me into leadership. I didn’t initially see it in myself, but luckily I had people who found leadership within me.

I’ve decided to own it. It is a great privilege, not because of the title, but because I get to contribute. Any opportunity to be in a leadership role is an opportunity to serve my community, and that makes me so happy.

Collage image and photos from events and conferences

Mentoring began informally when students came to me after seeing me in leadership roles. They admired my confidence and ability to speak eloquently in public, and asked me how to learn those skills. I decided to bring people together into one network: the Better Me Initiative is a network of young people who want to improve in their personal and professional lives.

I support people both collectively & individually, and I organise presentations and speakers on everything from networking and confidence-building, to emotional intelligence and even creating your own personal brand.

Over time, I’ve learned that what worked for me won’t necessarily work for somebody else. Mentoring has taught me to appreciate different personalities, to be calmer, and to step back and take time to understand the person.

I feel incredibly grateful to have had some amazing mentors myself, and received so much support from people over the years, which also directly informs my drive to give back. I don’t feel too unique, I just feel like I’m an ordinary girl trying to contribute to society by sharing my experience and by creating opportunities.

A hoodie, African cloth and Doughnut Economics Book

I really care about the environment, sustainability, and how to make people happy and proud of their surroundings. In 2019, for my undergraduate tourism management experiential project, I convinced my group to look at cleanliness on the beaches of Cape Coast in Ghana, where there was a lot of rubbish, particularly plastic waste.

Supported by local leaders, we set out to educate the community about the benefits of tourism on the economy, and how looking after local beaches could support this. We performed a drama in Fante (the local language), broadcast information via the town crier and radio stations, and organised a big cleanup exercise with classmates & colleagues providing hot meals for volunteers who helped with the cleanup operation.

Now the local communities and businesses along Cape Coast beach are a lot more environmentally aware. Anytime I go back and visit, I feel proud of knowing that this is in part due to me and our project.

A drawing and an archival photograph

We ended up in Norway through friends who had said to my Mum, “if you want a better life, come to live & work here.” We only lived there a couple of years, but it was the best time because we all had each other.

It feels like a distant, almost implanted memory. It was such a big change at such a young age and it was difficult. I don’t remember everything, only the core flashes like playing football in the snow with my sisters, teachers stopping class so we could watch the northern lights outside the window, and being the only kids in the school with black hair. Apparently at one point I only spoke Norwegian… I don’t even remember this.

Mum was always around in the daytime, but worked late nights at the takeaway. So we felt cared for, yet still yearned for her at night. It was a strange, beautiful mix of closeness and absence.

Small doll, knitted bag and childhood photos

Growing up, I just loved playing. I was so excited when the break bell rang, but as an adult I sometimes ask myself; “Do I take life seriously, or do I not take life seriously?”

I feel like I do both. When I’m “at it” and focused on a task or in a leadership context, it’s not time to joke. Being a student, there’s always so much to do, so sometimes you have to be a bit more intentional about taking a break!

When it’s time to relax, I try to be fully present in fun. With my close friends, I’m silly and loud. I love chatting, laughing, watching inspiring or funny videos, eating good food, or playing gospel music, singing & dancing in my room. I love having adventures, going swimming and finding relaxing places. I really enjoy exploring Lincoln & Lincolnshire.

People can see me as serious or prim & proper, but I’m definitely not that all the time. I am not so serious.

Graduation medal and Cape Coast photos

If you visit Ghana, and don’t visit Cape Coast then you’ve missed out!

I did my undergraduate degree in tourism and hospitality there at the University of Cape Coast, but initially, I didn’t want to go!

From the name you can tell it’s by the sea, it has a lot of the castles that were built by the Europeans, and it’s a major tourism & education hub - but I’d heard the students were too serious and all about their books, and I am not so serious! It was a lot slower than the capital city, Accra - where you always have to be on the run - so I grew to really appreciate the calm and having a bit more breathing space!

It’s the place where I truly discovered myself, formed great relationships, and so many of the things I now do came out of my being there. I loved it and wouldn’t change it for the world!

Photos with key family members and Kente bead bracelet

I have a massive extended family, with more siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles than I can count! But my immediate family has had the most impact on me, and been my greatest support system throughout my life.

My elder brother encouraged me to go to the University of Cape Coast. My being here in the UK is sponsored by my elder sister - I think she was my first real mentor. She’d say, “You need to be serious, you play too much, sit down and read!” She taught me that things don’t come by chance, you have to seek things out and work for them.

My dad gives me so much confidence: I feel limitless because I know that he believes I can do anything I set my mind to. My mum encourages me, but always manages to keep me grounded, making sure I’m doing the right thing for me. I’ve always had a lot of care and affection from her too, she pampers me. In Ghana we say someone who is pampered has a “sweet head”.

Small objects representing shared culture

In Lincoln, I live in a super international household. I’ve Indian, Pakistani, Canadian and British housemates, as well as myself from Ghana - it’s beautiful. At Christmas, I wanted us all to get to know each other, and to celebrate our different cultures, so we decided to share music and food.

I made Waakye; rice with beans and sorghum leaves, and Jollof rice, which is rice cooked in tomato sauce with protein (chicken, beef or goat) and vegetables (peppers, onion, carrots). There's friendly rivalry, in Africa, between who's got the best Jollof rice; Ghana or Nigeria. It’s obviously Ghana!

People say that your favourite food is usually the food that you eat the most of, and I know that I eat a lot of rice, but I'm not sure that it’s really my favourite… Maybe it’s french fries?

Student card, café receipt and fabric

Lincoln truly feels like “home away from home” to me.

I tell people; I don’t feel like I’ve travelled, I don’t feel like I’m out of Ghana because Lincoln feels just like Cape Coast! The environment, the kind of things that are here, they all echo what I know from home.

It’s one of the most historic cities of England, and as a tourism student, I love that Lincoln has the cathedral and the castle: such visible history & heritage.

One of my favourite experiences was a Christmas Walking Tour. I enjoyed hearing the history of Lincoln, which I could connect to the history of Ghana.

It might be difficult to understand, but it’s easy to find surprising parallels in invasions and the colonial histories of Lincoln, and the colonial & slave trade history of Ghana.

There was once an incident in a restaurant where someone was being mean to me in Chinese. He didn’t understand the words, but he could see that I was upset, so he called out “just shut up”, he took me outside, and he comforted me.

That was when I realised he wasn’t just ‘my mum’s husband’, he’s my Kung Fu Pandaddy. My number one. Tony’s emotional, open, and makes me feel safe to be myself. I love that guy.

Student rep documents, hoodie / uniform, shoes and Jewellery

When I first came to Lincoln, everything was new and it shook my confidence a little. I was hiding in my shell, just going from apartment to class and not wanting to do anything else. It was having an effect on me, and I was feeling quite low.

But, through the support of my lecturers and the university, I was encouraged to explore, to step out and take opportunities, even engage with British culture! After I started doing that, I started making friends and feeling more myself. I chose to connect with people, and to find leadership roles here. I’ve even just become the ‘International

Student Experience Officer’!

I’d say Lincoln has helped me to become more confident, more balanced and more intentional about being fully myself. I’m not the kind of person who hides who I am.

You will always see me!