Rebecca is a first-year master’s student in Student Affairs and Administration in Higher Education and a graduate assistant for the Graduate School’s Pathways Mentoring Program. 

Q: What is your hometown? 

A:  So, I’m from Ghana. My whole town is the Ashanti region and is called Kumasi. 

Q: Can you tell me about your undergrad experience?  

A: My undergraduate degree was a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Accounting major) from the University of Ghana. I then enrolled in an MA, Outdoor and Adventure Leadership at Wheaton College.  

Q: Why did you choose the program you are currently pursuing?  

A: I’ve been working with young people for the past decade, starting with mentoring in a youth group during my undergraduate years. We continued mentoring during school holidays and organized camps. I’ve also taught elementary and high school students. Since I have experience in elementary and high school, I think the next step might be higher education. I want to get more knowledge into student affairs and how to better support students and help them succeed.  

Q: What are your primary responsibilities as a pathways GA? 

A: As a pathways GA, I work with my supervisor to match students with faculty. Students need to have a one-hour meeting time with their mentor every week and that’ll be throughout their academic life. We also do tabling (setting up tables around campus) to promote the program.  

Q: How do you make sure you’re practicing self-care in your downtime?  

A: I watch YouTube videos to relax. I have some lifestyle channels that I like to watch and relax. I also try and check WhatsApp and send messages to my friends and families. In my downtime I like to travel as well and to see places that I’ve missed.  

Q: Where has been your favorite place that you’ve traveled to? 

A:  That’s a difficult question but I would say New York because I,heard a lot about Times Square and had seen pictures. So, just being able to go to New York and visit Times Square and see all the pictures and videos around you was amazing.  

Q: What are your future plans or goals? 

A: I’m looking at pursuing a PhD after my master’s. I would also like to work in Student Affairs, Graduate Admissions, International Services, or in the Dean’s Office. 

Q: Is there anything related to your GA position that you’re looking forward to this year? 

A: I’m looking forward to meeting the mentees and being able to build a relationship with them as they build a relationship with their mentors.  

Q: What advice would you give to students considering your program? 

A: I’ve been so comfortable in the classes. The professors have been so amazing, and the labs have helped me zoom into things that I didn’t know about student affairs. I think if you’re a student who loves to work with other students or wants to mentor other students, I think Student Affairs is a very good master’s to be in.  Since it’s so broad, there are so many functional areas that you can think about working in.  It’s very fulfilling to be able to impact another student or another person and to be able to help them progress in their academic life.