From no English to First class: Abdul-Rasheed's journey to academic excellence

Everyone has a story to tell when they look back at their time as university students—the arduous nights of studying, the long, tedious lectures, and the never-ending assignments. Then there are the personal challenges: heartbreak, loss, financial struggles, and more. But how many have had to overcome a language barrier while striving for academic excellence?

Abdul-Rasheed Sulemana has such a story to tell. He was admitted into university barely able to speak English.

When I was in Level 100, I couldn’t even speak English!

Born and raised in Bongbini, a Mamprugu community in North-East Ghana, near Nalerigu, Abdul-Rasheed had his basic education at Bongbini Primary School and Gbangu Junior High School, before gaining admission to Nalerigu Senior High School in 2017. He studied General Arts and wrote the WASSCE in 2020, successfully passing his exams.

After writing BECE in 2017… I travelled to Tamale to hustle and get money so that when school reopens and I gain admission, I should be able to have something to pay my school fees in case the Free Education couldn’t work whilst taking care of my other expenses. During my time in SHS, whenever I vacated, I had to travel back to Tamale and work again so that by the time I resumed, I would have some money.

Abdul-Rasheed later applied to the University of Ghana, where he was admitted to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Information Studies, and Sociology under the Distance Education programme. However, financing his education became a major challenge, as his family was already struggling with existing financial burdens following the loss of their home.

With no one to sponsor his education, he sought financial aid from his constituency’s Member of Parliament (MP) at the time but was repeatedly denied help for irrational reasons—one being that his footwear was deemed “inappropriate” when he tried to meet him. Desperate, he secured a one-year contract as a labourer to fund his tuition. Later, he took up a job as a security officer, which helped sustain him throughout the rest of his semesters.

Coming from a community where speaking English was rare, Abdul-Rasheed found it difficult to communicate with his peers and often remained silent in his first year. Yet, he was determined to succeed academically.

When I first came to university, speaking English was very hard for me. In my community, they don’t encourage English because they think you are looking down on them. So, in my first year, I didn’t talk much because I didn’t want people to know I couldn’t speak English well, especially among those who spoke so eloquently.

Despite this, his hard work and dedication paid off. In his first semester, he earned four As and one D, with the latter being a major setback in his pursuit of excellence. Determined to do better, he drew inspiration from high-achieving colleagues and seniors, working tirelessly to improve his grades.

Since the Accra City Campus was close to his workplace, he attended classes there to revise and enhance his understanding. His routine involved attending lectures during the day and working at night, all while dealing with a language barrier.

Today, Abdul-Rasheed is graduating with First-Class Honours and a Final Grade Point Average (FGPA) of 3.74. He achieved this while juggling full-time employment and overcoming significant challenges. He credits Allah for his strength and acknowledges the support of close friends and family.

Currently, he is serving as a Teaching Assistant at the Department of Psychology, University of Ghana. His ultimate dream is to become a Professor of Clinical and Neuropsychology in the near future.

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