PHD, CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY – FROM DREAM, TRIALS, AND FAITH, TO REALISATION – THE INSPIRING STORY OF DR ALICE AMEGAH: On 4th June 2018, I made a fervent call on my Facebook page titled, FIRST-CLASS STUDENT SEEKS HELP TO STUDY AT OXFORD UNIVERSITY.
Alice – who I didn’t know, at the time – was born in Boadua, a village in the Eastern Region of Ghana, to a farmer and a petty trader. She was the only one from her family to make it as far as getting into Ghana’s premier university, the University of Ghana (Legon) and emerge, not just with a pass, 3rd or 2nd class, but FIRST CLASS. She had attended local elementary schools, proceeded to Ofori Panin Secondary School (OPASS,) Tafo, in the same region, before the University of Ghana.
Oxford University had given Alice a partial scholarship of £20,000 (pounds sterling), but she needed an extra £20,000 for accommodation, feeding, travelling, insurance and more – all by the deadline of August 2018. The Facebook appeal resonated with many people and got shared more than 166 times, not just by Ghanaians but other nationalities, including Bruce Marshall, all the way in Canada.
I must confess, I was quietly incensed, appalled, and provoked to see that any bright young dream-loaded woman like Alice, was struggling to raise funds to attend the prestigious Oxford University, where Alice had gained admission to do a Master’s in Education (Comparative and International Education.) Why? Why does Alice – or any other first class graduate, for that matter – have to resort to a Go-Fund Me? I contributed to her GoFundMe appeal but felt that the appeal might not deliver what was needed. I was upset that a brilliant first-class product of Legon could be left almost begging for support that should have been automatic. Alice had clinched her First Class, B.A. (Hons) in Psychology and Religion, with a cumulative GPA of 3.8/4, topped with a number of awards, including graduating as the best student in the Humanities. She was also a finalist in the inaugural 2018 Rhodes West Africa scholarship (5th position.) Dream-girl had been “rejected several times and cried many times.” But she kept her dream, and never gave up.
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“After all, how many of us can boast of getting a First Class degree from Legon,” I wondered. University education can be tough for any one of us, but it’s harder for young girls coming from a rural and modest background, so to me, Alice was simply super, excellent, and exceptional, and deserved every support to go higher. She was not just a bookworm but gave back to her community, by teaching children how to read and spell, in addition to educating them about reproductive and sexual health and human rights. I wished I was a millionaire who could just step in and take care of her fees quietly, without fuss. I made some calls, appealed to some good people for guidance, and prayed fervently for a breakthrough.
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Within five months, to the delight of all of us, and with the support of several kind, generous, and committed persons, Alice had made it to Oxford University. We must give special thanks to the GNPC Foundation, for stepping in and stepping up in a big way. I looked for any reputable Ghanaian sister who could guide Alice and serve as a direct mentor in her Oxford journey, and found Sister Elsie Dickson, who had done her Master’s in Oxford. Sister Franca Selikem Fieret, who lives in the UK also stepped in and took Alice under her wings, with visits and advice, plus encouragement. Within one year, on 9th November 2019, Alice had completed her Oxford Master’s degree in (MSc Comparative and International Education). Glory to GOD.
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As if this huge achievement was not enough, the Dream-girl from Boadua informed me that she had set her eyes on a PhD degree, not in Oxford University, but in the other highly-regarded competitor to Oxford, Cambridge University. Wow. From Boadua, to Legon, then Oxford, and Cambridge. Alice proceeded to Cambridge University, where she was elected President of the African Society of Cambridge University, (ASCU) – a role she completed last year with some remarkable outcomes.
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And just this past Friday, 21st July 2023, after all her hard work, faith, and determination, Alice – who’s currently working at the World Bank in Washington DC – collected her much deserved Cambridge University PhD in Education and International Development. What a feat! What an achievement! What a brilliant woman of big dreams.
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It gladdens my heart to see her dearest mum, Faustina, by her side as Alice celebrated her PhD. What more could a mother ask for? TO GOD BE ALL THE GLORY.
A MILLION THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO HELPED THIS VILLAGE GIRL TO ACQUIRE HER PHD FROM CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY OF ALL PLACE.
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ALICE, YES, GOD HAS A PLAN.
ALICE, YOU’VE PROVEN THAT DREAMS CAN COME TRUE.
ALICE, GO HIGHER AND DO GREATER.
ALICE, ARISE AND BE A BLESSING TO MILLIONS OF PEOPLE
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MANY CONGRATULATIONS, DR ALICE XORLALY AMEGAH.
GOD BLESS YOU.
