Minister of Education Congratulates First Female Valedictorian of GCTU
The Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, met with the valedictorian at the recently held graduation ceremony of GCTU, Sussana Frimpong, to congratulate her in person for her outstanding achievement.
This historic visit took place on August 3, with the valedictorian joined by a delegation from GCTU.
The Hon. Minister, Dr. Adutwum, was thrilled by Sussana Frimpong’s achievement as the first female student to become the valedictorian at GCTU. He emphasized the importance of her success in inspiring other young men and women from less-endowed schools to strive for greatness. The minister commended her determination, adding that her story would serve as a beacon of hope for many others.
“Your success is going to breed more success for others who probably thought of themselves less, to think that we can make it. So, continue to work hard and advance yourself. Your story can inspire thousands of others, and that will be the legacy you give to your country and humanity as a whole. Congratulations!” the Hon. Minister said.
In response to the Minister’s question on the secret to her success, Sussana Frimpong expressed her gratitude to her secret mentor, Rev. Dr. Joyce Aryee, for inspiring her throughout her journey. She also thanked the Minister for his support and acknowledgment on social media, which had garnered her over 1,400 likes on Facebook, bringing her significant attention and appreciation from the public.
The valedictorian also extended her thanks to the Vice-Chancellor and the university’s administration for their support and encouragement. Sussana credited her achievements to the support of her parents and the values they instilled in her, along with her strong faith in God.
She revealed that she drew inspiration from a quote by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., which motivated her to excel in everything she did.
She acknowledged her responsibility as a role model for the younger generation and pledged to be a positive influence on their lives.
“I am a Sunday School teacher and a proud one for that matter. My kids always say they want to be like me someday. So, I always consider them in anything I do. It also influenced me to be where I am today,” Sussana said.
During the meeting, the Vice-Chancellor who led the GCTU delegation, expressed his gratitude to the Minister for the invitation and the special recognition given to Sussana Frimpong.
He announced the institution’s commitment to support her academic pursuits, including enrolling her for her National Service and sponsoring her postgraduate studies in Accounting and Finance at the University of KwaZulu Natal in South Africa.
The Vice-Chancellor also used the opportunity to advertise the transformation agenda of GCTU to create a Silicon Valley for Ghana and the West African sub-region.
The Minister of Education assured the Vice-Chancellor of his commitment to the university’s development and requested further discussions on areas of collaboration.
He outlined ongoing projects in the education sector, including digitalization initiatives, and expressed interest in involving GCTU to strengthen the high school pipeline for ICT education.
“In the ICT area, we’re looking at how we can get Computer Science taught at the high school. The first time people hear about Telecommunications and Computer Science should not be at the university. It should be at the Junior High, High schools. We can have that pipelined all the way to GCTU. So, we’ll engage with you to see how best you can support the high schools’ transformation agenda.
The Minister of Education lauded the university for the sponsorship package in place for the valedictorian to pursue higher education.
“You know in Ghanaian high schools, they do Home Economics, Business Accounting etc. These are all good. but if you talk about digitalization as Miss Frimpong has said, why is it that we’re not doing computer science in high schools? Robotics?
“Now we’ve begun. We’re doing Engineering, and Robotics in high schools, but they should be pipelined to your university. Your involvement is going to be key in terms of strengthening the high school pipeline and also creating a pipeline to your institution. So, this is an opportunity for us to also come together.
The Minister disclosed other initiatives which are at various stages of being rolled out such as the one student one tablet agenda, the virtual high school programme, the high-tech high school, and girls-only STEM schools, three of which are under construction in the country.
Sussana Frimpong also made a special request for the Minister’s support to further her education abroad, mentioning her aspirations to study at renowned institutions like Harvard or Oxford.
The Minister assured her that he would consider it, emphasizing the importance of supporting outstanding students in their pursuit of higher education.
