Expo at university expos!
Clara with some typical U.K. figures at an exposition in Accra.
As a spokesperson for our tutoring and study abroad services here in Kumasi, I have been representing Exponential Education Tutoring Services (ETS) at university expositions in Accra. Even in Kumasi, one of the major Ghanaian cities, not many programs take place that are dedicated to those students who wish to study outside of Ghana. However, Ghanaian students are not entirely forgotten. Many programs have been taking place in Accra, the capital city, and recently I have had the pleasure to attend three such programs. Accra is about five hours from Kumasi by bus, so I have taken several long bus rides to the city during this term.
At one of the events I had the opportunity to meet with 37 different representatives from schools in the U.K., U.S.A., Australia and Canada. These are the top countries recruiting Ghanaian students, given that all of them use the English language in their education systems. Ghana is unique in West Africa for being colonized by the British rather than the French. This particular event was not only beneficial because we picked up a large haul of books, pens, bags and other materials for our office and students, but we also had the opportunity to meet with schools that are passionate about international students, specifically those from Ghana. I was able to inform various schools about the benefits of Exponential’s unique program combining our university advising with our nonprofit social enterprise. We also made valuable connections for our students should they choose to apply to any of these schools in the future.
Another event I attended highlighted a special program for students who want to study in the U.S. An 80 year-old man was promoting a special opportunity for students to work while obtaining their degree. For many of our students this could be a beneficial opportunity as financial challenges are a huge obstacle when it comes to attempting to study abroad. For all of the events I attended I was pleased to hear that there are people identifying the struggles of our students in attending university abroad, and while limited, there are organizations doing their best to address these challenges and provide opportunities for international students. The events in Accra have given me a platform to promote Exponential Education and make connections with programs that could be of assistance for our students in the future.
Clara Burgess is the site manager for Exponential Education Tutoring Services, a social enterprise that helps local students study abroad while reinvesting the revenue into our flagship after school tutoring program.
