Gifty Mary Acheampomaa

I learned one thing through my internships and engagement with people in the corporate world: that you must show up and ensure to do things, but at the same time, take care of yourself. I learned that the world won't take care of you, but you must take care of yourself. If you let your own self go, I can't anticipate anyone coming in to take care of you. This really resonates well with me. It's important to take care of one's self, just at the same time meeting all the demands the job requires of you.

For women, particularly those pursuing their Master's in international, foreign countries, it's essential that we take care of ourselves. There are times where it's difficult even finding or navigating through finding someone to interact with, just having some normal emotional conversations with. But it's a decision women in foreign countries have chosen to go through, so we only have to decode ourselves. We learn to understand the culture we find ourselves in and ensure to be as respectful and considerate as possible.

The opportunity largely is me having the chance to serve at the Wedge Innovation Center. Literally as an international student, and this being my first time in the country, I ideally did not have any idea, any knowledge or understanding of how the corporate world and life actually is in the Western world or even here in America. But with my chance of being with the Wedge Innovation Center, I find myself amongst very American people, and it's always about learning from them and understanding how life is over here. They are very much approachable and curious to know about life in Ghana compared to here. I came to feel like I have a much more broadened, boarded horizon of a whole lot of things, and I have come to understand so many things at the same time. Being at the Wedge has given me the chance to understand the American culture to some extent, to a larger extent currently, and it's been good. Now, on to the challenges: being an international student in a new country, of course there are times where you would feel so lonely and not know having one to interact with. But I think that is where my Ghanaian community also comes in, and meeting them from time to time, interacting with them, sharing thoughts and life experiences sometimes. These things encourage you and make you want to pursue your purpose of being here. So, challenges, yes, it feels lonely sometimes, but it is rewarding, and that's the beautiful part.

Culturally, I am a young Ghanaian woman, and culturally we value respect, we value togetherness, we value the essence of being there for each other. Accountability as well, and that isn't so different from my culture and my academic pursuits currently. It's important that even as a student, I ensure to stay accountable to myself, to my professors at the same time, and even to the place of work I am at the moment. Accountability is very, very important to me. I do not take that lightly at all. I know that for anyone to actually take you serious, it's actually about you being accountable. It's actually about you showing up and then doing and carrying the tasks you are supposed to and doing everything you are required to at the same time.