Webster University Ghana Campus Graduates 6th Class of Students
On the morning of Saturday, November 21, 2020, Webster University Ghana held its 6th graduation at its East Legon campus. In a commencement ceremony graced by the US Ambassador to Ghana, Stephanie Sullivan and other dignitaries from the Ministry of Education, including the Acting Director in Charge of Tertiary, Mr Nhyira Sarfo Adu- Amankwah, and the National Accreditation Board (NAB); Class of 2020 graduates were furthermore enthused by the uplifting words of the renowned speaker and business executive, Dr Joyce Aryee.
The ceremony opened with a procession of the university’s administration, special guests, faculty and graduating students followed by the national anthems of Ghana and The United States, and a moment of silence in honour of the late former president Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings, whose family member was a part of the graduating class. To date, the American university’s only campus location in Africa has successfully conferred undergraduate and graduate degrees upon students from over 25 nationalities. In-line with the school’s ‘Start in Ghana, Finish Abroad’ tagline, members of the graduating class also had the opportunity to study abroad in the US, Holland, Thailand, Austria and Switzerland – all thanks to Webster’s robust global network encompassing international campuses in 9 locations across North America, Europe, Africa and Asia.
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Campus Director, Christa Sanders, warmly welcomed all, sharing her enthusiasm in finally being able to celebrate the 2020 graduates after having to postpone the ceremony twice due to COVID safety concerns. She congratulated the students on their momentous achievements and expressed pride in this special class having succeeded in managing the particular challenges of completing a degree amidst a worldwide pandemic. US Ambassador Sullivan offered words of wisdom to the graduates, encouraging them to take the ideas and knowledge acquired and get to work in solving the current challenges for global prosperity, as they embark upon a promising new journey. The audience then enjoyed heartfelt recorded messages from the heads of the Business and International Relations departments – currently in the United States and South Africa, respectively - due to the pandemic. Both urged the graduating students to be proud of their journeys, take advantage of the connections made while at Webster and to seek to make the world a better place.
The commencement speaker - well-known politician and business executive, Reverend Dr Joyce Aryee - offered a resounding address laced with humour and inspiration. She called on the graduating class to aim to use their educational background and global experience to be exceptional leaders – persons who lead with integrity, vision, concern and courage.
At this juncture, each graduating student beaming with pride, crossed the stage to receive their degrees, followed by addresses from the highest academically achieving students (GPA) representing undergraduate and graduate classes, along with some words from an alumnus, Noble Nazzah, who was part of Webster Ghana’s very first graduating cohort in 2016. The university’s Ghana campus offers undergraduate programs in Management, International Relations, Media Studies, Computer Science, Finance, and Psychology and at the graduate level, an MBA, an M.A. in International Relations, and a recently added M.A. in Human Resources Management.
The event flawlessly implemented strict COVID protocols for the safety of all in attendance and concluded officially with closing remarks and a recession of the stage party. Friends and family of the graduates along with staff then enjoyed a brief socially distanced reception in celebration of the new degree-holders.