Jessica Quaye’s weekends are atypical for a freshman, even for one who is part of Ashesi's first Engineering class. After a busy week at school, she chooses to spend her Saturdays away from campus with a group of engineers and other professionals working steadily on solutions aimed at straightening up the public transportation system in Ghana. It is work that compliments her bigger dream of engineering tools to improve forensics in Ghana.
“Generally, more developed countries have better profiling of the citizenry, so they are able to trace crimes a lot more easily,” she says. “In helping to solve crimes in Ghana, I want to have a hand in the construction of devices that can aid tracking, with regards to circuitry and design, and which will suit the Ghanaian climate. Electrical engineering will give me that background.”
The same drive that fuels these goals is what earned Jessica the honour of the Overall Best Student in West Africa in the 2015 Secondary School Examination. Jessica also won the Best Student in Science, a remarkable achievement. As part of her award, Jessica receives a full scholarship from the Universal Merchant Bank in Ghana. At a ceremony held in Accra this week, she was commended by Ghana's Minister of Education, who also presented the awards to Jessica and other top performing students.
While a student at Wesley Girl’s High School, Jessica wore several hats. Not only was she a high achieving student in the classroom, but also, she played significant leadership roles in the debating and robotics teams and was an unfailing presence at the school's fellowship; a "source of inspiration" for her Christian faith.
“She combined her academic prowess with sterling leadership skills, and her work as a prefect was applauded by all,” said Mrs. Betty Djokoto, Headmistress of Wesley Girls’ High School. “Jessica is determined and purposeful.”
After attending the Ashesi Innovation Experience(AIX) while still in high school, where she got to work on robotics projects, she was convinced Ashesi would give her the right tools to accomplish her goals.Now as a student, she gets the chance to extend her passion into a more definitive career path. From weekends dedicated to improving traffic in Ghana to late nights spent researching on forensics, Jessica is excited about contributing towards a promising future for Ghana.
“I wanted to follow my passions and do the things I enjoyed, so I joined the robotics club at Wesley girls, where I became the team captain," she says. "After attending the Ashesi Innovation Experience, I saw enough to know that Ashesi could help me achieve my career goals. I wanted contact hours with teachers where I could probe deeper and learn in an environment where I could thrive and be supported with an open window of opportunities. And even though we will be stretched beyond what we think we can bear, I'm ready to enjoy the experience."
