The Ubora Awards, a tradition started by the Ashesi Student Council (ASC), aims at inspiring members of the Ashesi community to reach for excellence in their daily work. Former student council executive, Efua Graham '15, writes about this year's ceremony and what it represented.
For months, organisers of the 4th UBORA Awards Ceremony had worked to create a lot of positive buzz around the Ashesi Student Council’s annual celebration of excellence. Themed ‘A Touch of Gold’, the event was held on Saturday 23rd November 2013, at the Holiday Inn in Accra.
Launched in 2010, the Ubora Awards is an annual event that honours members of the Ashesi community who have served as role models, have made valuable contributions to improving Ashesi, and have best represented the values of the university. Each year, staff, faculty, students and alumni who have made notable contributions to improving Ashesi and strive for excellence are nominated and award recipients selected by vote from the Ashesi Community.
Headed by the Ashesi Student Council’s Ruweidatu Salifu ‘14 (Immediate past Entertainment Chairperson), the Ubora 2013 team went all out in putting together undoubtedly the best Ubora awards ceremony yet. Sponsors for this year’s events included the Holiday Inn, LaceUp Media, Everpure, Heel The World, WolfPack Entertainment, Fidelity Bank, L’Aine Services, Dzidzi’s Spa, Google Ghana, Stanbic Investments, Allure, Rite Multimedia, Afrochic, RPC, Akataasia Clothing and Kwesi Nti Clothing.
Arriving at Holiday Inn, members of the Ashesi community and corporate Ghana were ready to experience the tall order that had been sold. True to promises, the programme ran almost flawlessly, with Judah-Emmanuel Newman ‘15 and Jessica Boifio ’14 leading as co-MCs. The music and the ambiance were classy, but most people were there to see which people were winning the award categories. This time, there were more than bragging rights on the line. Internships, bespoke apparel, spa treatments and cash prizes, thanks to the event sponsors, were to be picked up. (Click here to see the full list of award categories and winners).
The Student Scholarship Awards were the first to be given away. Student Council President, Michael Fiifi Quansah ‘14 swept the award for Bright Star to a standing ovation. Likewise, Kpetermeni Siakor ’15 and Richard Odame’15, recipients of the Golden Mouse and Entrepreneurial Spirit Awards respectively, were congratulated for their immense contributions to campus life with resounding rounds of applause. (Click here to see the full list of award categories and winners).
In his keynote, guest speaker Alex Asiedu, lecturer at Ashesi and Head of Stanbic Investment Management Services, reminded students that excellence was something everyone could aspire to, no matter where they found themselves. “If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as a Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry,” he added, quoting Martin Luther King Jr. The awards categories did well to capture this sentiment, with awards like the Female and Male Star Image won by Amanda Maame Ofosu-Siaw ‘15 and George Neequaye ‘14 respectively, which celebrated style excellence.
We congratulate the people who won awards this year, and we celebrate them for inspiring the entire Ashesi community.
Ubora 2013: Full list of Categories and Winners
Bright Star: Michael Fiifi Quansah ‘14
To a student who exhibits academic excellence both inside and outside of a classroom. This student is intellectually curious and constantly asks questions that broaden the conversation and is committed to proactively sharing knowledge with peers.
Entrepreneurial Spirit: Richard Odame ‘15
To a student who exemplifies the ideals of entrepreneurship and puts business theory to practice in a socially conscious way.
Golden Mouse: Kpetermeni Siakor ‘15
To a student who uses their knowledge in Computer Science to constantly improve the lives of others and assist peers with IT related issues.
Leadership In Action: Adesua Ye Adult Learning Project (Led by Leornard Annan ’14 and Sela Agbakpe ’15)
To a student or student group that takes initiative and goes beyond the call of duty to leave an indelible mark on the lives of others, no matter how small. This award must not necessarily go to the student leaders.
Sports Man & Woman of the Year: Francis Lamptey & Anna-Lisa Hammond
To a male and female student who have shown keen interest in sports and are committed to improving sports at Ashesi.
Most Inspirational Student: Michael Fiifi Quansah ‘14
To a junior or senior who continually inspires other students to go the extra mile and also takes advantage of opportunities to build themselves and their peers.
Rising Star: Effie Bartels-Kodwo ‘16
To a freshman or sophomore who has demonstrated initiative, drive and leadership and is committed to making an impact here at Ashesi.
Campus Impact: Kingdom Christian Fellowship
To a student or student group that has, in the past year, organized an event or activity to liven campus life. This could be a one-time event or a tradition.
Community Engagement: Adesua Ye Adult Learning Project (Led by Leornard Annan ’14 and Sela Agbakpe ’15)
To a student or student group that has, in the past year demonstrated a commitment to serving others outside the Ashesi Community.
Exceptional Citizen: Michael Fiifi Quansah ‘14
To a student who has gone out of their way to change and improve something in the Ashesi Community, either by giving constructive feedback or going ahead to take initiative without being prompted.
Male Star Image: George Neequaye ‘14
Female Star Image: Amanda Ofosu-Siaw ‘15
Most Outstanding Class: Class of 2016
To the class that exhibits overall excellence in all spheres of community life – turning up and participating in community activities, demonstrating scholarship and leadership in their interactions with other classes and having fun!
Student Personality of the Year: Michael Fiifi Quansah ‘14
To a student who exemplifies all three pillars of Ashesi in their daily life.
Most Outstanding Faculty: Kobina Graham, Arts & Sciences Dep’t
To the faculty member who expanded the horizons, skills, and value systems of Ashesi students by providing support and guidance both inside and outside of the classroom.
Most Outstanding Faculty Intern: Edward Opoku ‘11, Arts & Sciences Dep’t
Most Outstanding Staff: Ruth Kwakwa, Dean of Students & Community Affairs
To the staff member, who has demonstrated a continual commitment to the pillars of Ashesi with a self-evident belief in the need to enhance student life in a positive way.
Most Outstanding Alum: Ebenezer Gwumah ‘11
To the alumnus/a who constantly strives for excellence in his or her chosen field, continually embodies the core values of Ashesi and still supports the mission of the university.