Ruth Ama Djan Darkwah, the 13-year-old who made headlines four years ago when she was accepted into the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) to pursue a Bachelor of Science (BSc) Degree in Mathematics, has completed her studies.
Ruth, who is now 17 years old, was the youngest of the graduating class of 2020/21.
Ruth, a native of Berekum in the Bono Region and the daughter of a professional teacher father and a trader mother, enrolled in the University at the age of 13 to study BSc Mathematics and graduated at the age of 17.
Speaking to the media, Ruth stated that her classmates used to tease her that her colleagues were in the Junior High School, yet she did not give up in pursuing her ambition.
She expressed her delight at receiving her first degree at such a young age, and she thanked the Second Lady, Mrs. Samira Bawumia, for providing her with a scholarship to fund the four-year curriculum.
She also thanked President Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo for providing her with a laptop to help her with her studies.
Ruth thanked the former Vice Chancellor Professor Obiri Danso and the current Vice Chancellor, departmental Heads, Teaching Assistants, and the Church of Pentecost, particularly the past and present Chairmen, Rev. Opoku Onyina, Eric Nyamekye, and Yaw Adjei Kwarteng, Bompata district Area head, for their support and encouragement during her time on campus.
There were numerous problems on campus, she said, but she was able to overcome them with the help of her church, family, and friends.
She claimed that seeing adults as students in school motivated her to accomplish more. With the help of her teachers, the new graduate overcame her early skepticism that Mathematics was only for males.
Ruth aspires to be a pilot in the near future and has begun learning about how to do so through online resources in the study of Calculus. She intends to pursue a Master’s degree in optical engineering and encouraged her coworkers to look up to her as a role model, adding that anything is possible if you work hard enough.
Dr. Daniel Norris Bekoe, Deputy Registrar – URO at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), expressed delight that the university’s youngest female student has graduated and received her first degree.
This achievement, he claims, contributes to the University’s efforts to provide equal opportunity to both boys and females.
According to him, females presently account for 41% of students accepted into the University for the 2020/21 academic year.
Dr. Bekoe urged parents to use Ruth as a model for encouraging girls to pursue careers in math, science, and engineering, warning that if they don’t, the majority of women will be left behind.
The Registrar advised ladies to take Math and Science classes seriously in order to have a better life.
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