On October 10th, 2012, Ashesi hosted Reeta Roy, President and CEO of The MasterCard Foundation on campus. During her visit, Reeta toured campus, met with Ashesi's leadership and took time to speak with students about the mission of The MasterCard Foundation and its plans for making an impact in Africa. Ashesi students also took the opportunity to share some of their experiences as young people in Africa and the impact their education has had on them.
Under Reeta’s leadership, The MasterCard Foundation has created partnerships to expand access to education and learning for young people and financial access to those living in poverty in 48 developing countries - the majority of which are in Africa. The Foundation recently entered a $13 Million partnership with Ashesi, under The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Programme, to provide scholarships to financially disadvantaged students from across Africa over the next ten years.
Speaking with the MasterCard Scholars, Reeta encouraged them to believe in themselves and the impact they could make. “Never underestimate how much of a difference you can make,” she said. “You all earned this opportunity, and I am happy to see you here at Ashesi.”
"I really enjoyed the opportunity to meet with Reeta,” said Priscilla Yevu ‘15. She is a very inspiring woman and it was wonderful to have the opportunity to share our stories with her and learn more about how she got to where she is."
Prior to joining The MasterCard Foundation, Reeta was the Divisional Vice President of Global Citizenship and Policy at Abbott, and Vice President of the Abbott Fund. She also worked at Bristol-Myers Squibb in a number of positions related to public policy, public affairs, and strategic planning. Before joining the private sector, she worked at the United Nations. Reeta received a Master’s of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, and a Bachelor of Arts from St. Andrews Presbyterian College.