My Nonprofit Reviews
Diana O.
Review for Educational Pathways International, Incline Village, NV, USA
I am writing this review as an alumna of this prestigious scholarship. I talk about how accountable and successful I have become, in all aspects of my life, as a result of adhering to the discipline that was required for me to maintain the scholarship throughout my tertiary education.
On Wednesday 10th September 2008, I officially signed the EPI Scholarship Acceptance letter granting me full-time scholarship, board and tuition for my Ashesi University College education in Ghana. Appending that signature, after reading and agreeing to the terms of the scholarship, was like swearing an oath of allegiance to my home country and promising to be the best that I can be in every endeavor. I wholeheartedly embraced the challenge and looked forward to growing and inspiring others from freshman year to senior year. Fortunately, Ashesi’s curriculum empowered me to achieve my goals. Today, 8 years later, I have become a savvier and more mature computer science graduate spearheading a purposeful organization that promotes digital literacy.
If the president of a country does not fulfill his or her manifesto within 8 years, then the people will certainly believe that their president abused their trust and blew an opportunity to impact a whole generation – especially when their governance was not transparent. When we take the EPI Scholar to mean “the president of a country” and EPI to mean “the people”, this statement becomes an allegory for justifying why the EPI put specific clauses in the Scholarship Acceptance letter, ensuring that my colleagues and I graduate as balanced individuals with both academic prowess and a social conscience. One of such clauses was for each EPI Scholar to PURSUE PERSONAL SERVICE during vacation and non-school periods and to REPORT ON THE SERVICE EXPERIENCE because personal service is considered such as important element as we pursue our academic careers.
Knowing that I was required to continually serve others while maintaining outstanding academic records to remain qualified for the EPI scholarship empowered me to refine my time management skills and consequently impacted my level of success and self-accountability. Overall, it was a very good discipline for me to independently take charge of my academic progress, personal service and achievements and EPI’s feedback and support encouraged me to persist. My personal service pursuits transformed and enriched me and enhanced my soft skills for problem-solving. I learned to look at the big picture of Ghana’s development and realized what I could contribute via my talents and hard skills. My purposeful organization thus employs innovative and creative techniques to ensure that our digital literacy solutions are viable, contextualized, learner-centered and sustainable. It is impacting a generation of young leaders just as EPI’s scholarship impacted me. EPI is proud of me. I am equally proud of myself for surmounting personal challenges to become the best version of myself today, contributing to sustainable growth in my home country, Ghana.
One of the personal service opportunities I leveraged was song competitions. EPI promoted my first single, Ubuntu, beyond the shores of Ghana to a Women of Africa forum in Nevada because the lyrics were about women empowerment. That is one way EPI has supported my holistic development since 2008 for me to become a balanced, savvy and mature technologist. I am currently the Creative Director of a unique all-female live band in Ghana poised to present traditional African rhythms to the rest of the world. Another way EPI has supported me beyond a scholarship offer and massive appreciation for my music was encouraging me to apply to the 2016 Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, a merit-based open competition launched by President Obama.
I look forward to growing with the EPI alumni family and applying my profession to more personal service opportunities. EPI certainly deserves the 2016 Award for Top Rated Non-Profit because they are positively impacting generations of Ghanaian youth who graduate top of their class with the humility to reach out to serve others everywhere they go.
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How would you describe the help you got from this organization?
Life-changing
How likely are you to recommend this organization to a friend?
Definitely
How do you feel you were treated by this organization?
Very Well
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2012
Review for Educational Pathways International, Incline Village, NV, USA
I am one of the four Ashesi University College graduates who benefitted from the EPI scholarship during its maiden “Call for Scholarship Applications” in Ghana, West Africa. Backed by the EPI financial support, I enjoyed the peace of mind to focus on my rigorous higher education curriculum without interruption. I gained knowledge that opened me up to new possibilities. I developed my passion for sign language and am now working on a software project to scale up sign language instruction to basic mainstream schools all across Ghana.
EPI’s support also reminded me to keep up with my community service and extra-curricular activities, and doing so really enhanced my CV for the Ghanaian job market. I am happy to reveal here that my current full-time job was recommended to me by a fellow EPI alumnus. That was possible because EPI Alumni have a culture of networking and sharing opportunities. Having graduated from university, I often find myself counting my blessings and recognizing that I am now a part of a unique group of gifted young Ghanaians called, EPI Alumni, who are poised to serve mother Ghana with integrity.
As one of the pioneering beneficiaries, I recently volunteered to serve as the first EPI Alumni secretary. Together with my team of executives, we are laying a solid foundation for ourselves, based on community service, peer-mentoring and innovation, to ensure that future EPI beneficiaries continue to enjoy the love and moral support that comes with being a part of the big EPI family. We have welcomed the third graduating class into the EPI Alumni family, and just like the rest of us, their desire to give back to Ghana – despite personal challenges – burns strong. Each of us has received the priceless gift of higher education from the Lafrances and cannot help but pay it forward.
Sometimes, I am amazed at the impact that the Lafrances are making in our lives and in Ghana as a whole. It is not just about the scholarship. It is more about the love/ attention that they continuously show/ give us. Sara and Leonard Lafrance always have our best interest at heart. Every year, they make it a point to visit Ghana and interact with all beneficiaries and Alumni of EPI. They always look forward to learning more about the progress we are making in our studies and career pursuits.
EPI beneficiaries and Alumni are all selflessly making a difference in our home country, Ghana. All I have left to say is, “Long live EPI and long live the Lafrances!” We are all very proud of Mr. and Mrs. Lafrance for their efforts in making EPI a great non-profit organization based in America. Thank you.
Diana D. Osei
More Feedback
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
provide partial scholarships (if not full scholarships) to gifted students accepted into very expensive universities in Ghana. I would also form partnerships with more universities in Ghana that meet the organization's selection criteria. Thank you.
How would you describe the help you got from this organization?
Life-changing
How likely are you to recommend this organization to a friend?
Definitely
How do you feel you were treated by this organization?
Very Well
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2012
