Webster Ghana Holds Second Commencement
June 03, 2016
Scenes from the second-ever graduation ceremony at the Ghana campus, which opened
in 2013.Webster University's campus in Accra, Ghana, celebrated its graduates at the second-ever commencement ceremony at the campus this past weekend.
This year’s ceremony was spectacular, attended by a large number of dignitaries, including Paul Taylor and Melinda Tabler-Stone, both from the U.S. Embassy; Sheila Naah-Boamah, chief executive officer of Student Loan Trust Fund of the Ministry of Education; and Nick Amartefio, chairman of Dannes Ghana Limited and an advisory board member of Webster Ghana. A representative from the National Accreditation Board, Maxwell Amoako-Kisi, also attended the ceremony.
Ghana campus director Christa Sanders reminded graduates that they have become part of an elite network of more than 180,000 Webster University alumni from around the world. She emphasized that they are not only distinguished global citizens but they have been well prepared to meet the challenges and demands of the 21st century. She challenged them to become "game changers" and global ambassadors by challenging the status quo.
The commencement speaker was the well-known playwright James Ebo who, in his usual style, excited the audience with his charismatic storytelling. While doing so, he challenged the students to not compromise their principles and to make sure that "nothing goes wrong under their watch."
Other speakers took turns addressing the graduates, including Taylor, senior commercial officer from the U.S. Embassy, who noted that Webster graduates are the ones to build bridges from Ghana to the United States, the United Kingdom, China and the rest of the world.
The moment of excitement and the climax of it all was when the degrees were conferred on the graduates. The two faculty from abroad, Leonard Suransky and Eric Rhiney, took turns acknowledging the hard work, discipline and outstanding achievements of the graduates.
Jennifer Tchorly-Boadi, an alumna from the first cohort of graduate students, was honored for her outstanding thesis, which won, in competition with all thesis written within the Webster University global network of campuses, the prestigious Best Graduate Thesis in International Relations award.