My journey at Ashesi has been an interesting adventure. I faced and conquered many difficult moments, but these built me into the person I am today. My name is Brian Tafadzwa Gomora. On the 4th of June, excitingly, I will be graduating with a BSc. in Electrical and Electronics Engineering. But the question is, do I see myself working in the electric power sector? Below is an account of my journey at this wonderful institution and my post-graduation plans. 

Coming to Ashesi University, I was really fascinated with anything electrical and envisioned myself working in that field. Along the journey however, I realized this was not for me, and I was merely following this path due to family expectation and peer pressure. I am thankful to Ashesi’s liberal arts curriculum, which exposed me to various classes in the areas of leadership, technology, writing and engineering. All these helped me gauge my true strengths before I decided to pursue a career switch to Data Science. My only regret is realizing this rather late after I had already declared my major. Despite that, I was still accommodated to take extra classes in addition to my engineering ones, which was indeed fun and helpful.

Ashesi University not only molded me academically, but socially. I was a quiet person and shied away from group conversations and presentations. This all changed along this journey, as I got a lot of personal development support. I played sports, read, and attended events. All these activities played vital roles in my character today and how I view the world. Another awesome experience I would mention revolves around Ashesi’s mission. I must confess, the environment really fostered ethical leadership and solidified my ‘give back to the community’ mentality. I utilized the opportunities to give back to the Berekuso and Ayim communities (the communities around Ashesi University). During the four year period, I co-founded the Code4All Initiative and served as the Curricular Planner. I also started as a mentor and later became the president of the Mentors Network Club - a club focusing on providing mentorship and academic assistance to high school students in the Ayim community and northern Ghana.

After graduation, my plans are to continue giving back to the community mainly in the area of education. I want to ensure that every child from the underrepresented communities gets access to quality education while also introducing them to the field of STEM so they can make well rounded career decisions. I also plan on getting a graduate trainee job in the data science field so that I can help sustain myself and family. Lastly but not the least, I want to wholeheartedly thank you so much for bringing me this far! This was a huge dream for me - to one day see myself progressing in my career and making an impact in my community. I can gladly say that this is no longer an impossible dream, through your generous assistance. COVID-19 came, many were affected in their studies but I am grateful you stood by us in ensuring our educational journey was not disrupted. For these and more you have done for me, I say thank you a lot and I will definitely pay it forward.