Building a Nonprofit in Ghana | Salomey Ampadu

Beyond Harvard is a platform that highlights the voices, stories, and ideas of the Harvard University community, identifying who they are at Harvard and Beyond. In Episode 1, we meet Salomey Ampadu, a Master’s Candidate in Education Leadership at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Tune in to learn about her background, journey to Harvard, and her non-profit built to improve outcomes for children in Ghana.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

I truly believe my calling is um I don't know why I'm tearing up. The education industry program was literally talking about what I'm doing. What I I I felt like I was missing. But you're just one person. So you feel like you just chat, like, I'm chasing, I want everything, but you cannot have everything, right?

SPEAKER_02 0:17

Welcome to Beyond Harvard. This is a platform where we share the voices of the Harvard community, uncovering who they are at Harvard and Beyond. In today's episode, we have the great pleasure of meeting Salome on Padu. Take a listen as she shares her story, her insights, and nuggets of wisdom. Enjoy. Salome on Padu. Welcome to Beyond Harbor. Thank you. Delighted to have you. Thank you for joining us. Of course, thank you so much. Yeah, so let me jump right in. Okay. You were born in Ghana. You grew up in Japan. I did. You studied it. We were back to Ghana. We studied in Dubai, Shanghai, you worked in London. Talk to me about your multicultural background, how it relates to the person you're on day, and how do you show up to the world?

SPEAKER_00 1:24

That's that's a very good question. Um, so yeah, I guess um I have a global mindset in that sense. Um, I'm very dynamic, I would say, in terms of the relation that I have with it, the culture, but I also still have the Japanese culture that was instilled in me. Um, so I'm able to kind of mesh those two and kind of come into the world with that. So, I mean, of course, growing up in two different identities, you do have that question which one do you belong to more? Um, but I guess for me, the best time was when I was in Dubai, because Dubai was like a place where everyone else was like their culture children. Yeah, so everyone was having the same dilemma, was having so you fit right in. And it was just perfect. Yeah. And that's when I realized I can show up as the unique salomia that I am. Right. I'm Ghanaian, I have Japanese culture interest, I love your Japanese food. Yeah, I love to be in Asia, but at the same time, I love Africa, and that's fine, that's okay. It could be different from anyone else, but that's the unique sense that I'm able to bring into the trevala friendship I have or work life that I have.

SPEAKER_02 2:27

Right. And I think that diverse perspective really informs how you show up in those in front of us. Yeah, it's and it sounds like Salome, that you're not caught between the two identities, right? And except it's having a multi-dimensional background and you feel boxed in. But it sounds like you're able to embrace I I do embrace it, and I'm I'm happy. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:48

Oh, I it took a while.

SPEAKER_02 2:50

I embrace it. I was like, I loved it. Yeah, yeah. That's what it is. It's almost like a switch, right? Not a switch. Yeah. I love it. Um something you say often and and that I've noticed is you you've said talent is everywhere.

SPEAKER_01 3:05

Opportunity is not everywhere. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 3:07

And there's someone who has a diverse area of experience. How did you come to that? And how talk us through a little about that mantra.

SPEAKER_00 3:16

It's um so that mantra really speaks to me because um I would say in my own bubble, I had assumed everyone had the opportunities and the access and the awareness of things. Yes. Um, but I guess again, this is where living in and traveling in different countries start to understand context, like to understand what people are going through. So I worked in Cape Town for a while and I didn't understand the South African context, and I don't think I'm the right person to even talk about it. But from what I even saw at that time, was saying that just unfortunately, some people are not aware of the opportunities they can have, and they are not at the place that they could actually get to, and not because they are not smart enough or building up. It's just no one has given them that opportunity. So that's why I say for me, talent is clearly everywhere. Uh, because they have, in their own way, have built in innate skills or they can develop it because of survival skills. I feel like people who have to survive, they have more skills than people who have just had everything given to them in a way. Um, but then if we're able to give everyone like this is the kind of schools you can go to and have access to, that front-end access and all of that, and if we are all having a playing level field, I feel like that's where we'll realize that okay, we can get more people in that bigger space, um, than just keeping it as essentialized and let me tell you how it ends. The silos, right? Is a sign in all the things.

SPEAKER_02 4:35

Yeah, and it seems like what you're saying is democratizing access. Yeah, to those opportunities. Because to your point, they have the grip. They have the results. They have it, right? It's innate. Almost yeah, to your point, and like Tanya, you mentioned almost the survivorship, right? And it's it's innate. So I want to come back to you, but and um I want uh talk a little bit about your childhood and upbringing. How has that shaped you?

SPEAKER_00 5:04

Oh, my upbringing best. I always say Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:07

Oh, I love it.

SPEAKER_00 5:08

Um, I grew up in Japan um with my lumsy parents that instant the Ghanaian tradition and cultural, but at the same time, it still allowed us to also immerse ourselves in the Trapetese culture. So I feel like I had that both being meshed whilst I was growing up. Um, and one thing I loved about my childhood was in Japan the educational system is such that they're kind of educating you to be um a responsible citizen. So in the curriculum and what we're teaching, even in kindergarten and primary school, I realized that I was not just in a classroom, but I was being taught as an individual how can you actually help your surrounding, your neighborhood, your environment actually succeed. So, like there was one interesting thing, like in our neighborhood, yeah, we had neighborhood watching. Neighborhood watching. Yeah, so it was so everyone takes a turn to kind of watch the neighborhood and with the children as well, so it's not only parents. So we are being involved in it. Okay, I would go with my mom and some of our neighbors, or whether we like a neighborhood watch, and it was fun, it was just interesting. Yeah, and it was little things, we don't realize it, but it does something to you as a child. So it kind of instilled to me a respect of the subscribe. So like for me, when I see a law, I'm like, I need to abide by the law because I don't know, I was growing up thinking that way and thought that way. And it wasn't like it was forced on us, it made it feel like you being a responsible citizen should be your pride. So being instilling that in you makes you feel like I want to show up that way. Why would I want to rebel? No, I want to be proud of the location I'm at and respecting the location I'm at and following through. And I guess that was mainly like kind of my childhood, but at the same time, the freedom to play and uh just enjoy um the different things that I could enjoy. And um, honestly, I I enjoyed my childhood. Yeah, and it sounds like Japan multimaries a half bites.

SPEAKER_02 6:54

It really does, yes, it does. The mix of being able to embrace both your individuality, but then being fully immersed. Yeah, in your community, yeah, yeah, where there's values and yeah, I think that's great to hear how you been able to take that and so you carry it through across the that that you've been to. Um, and then so you were commit commitment back to Ghana. Yes, right. And then and then you proceed graduate school in Dubai.

SPEAKER_00 7:23

So I pursued my graduate school in Dubai. Um guess that's when I fully accepted who I was.

SPEAKER_02 7:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:28

Um and it was the best time. It was it was a little challenging, but I think once I understood who I was and how my uniqueness was able to actually bring benefits into wherever space I was. And tell us more about you. That's a good that's a good question, actually.

SPEAKER_01 7:46

I have to like kind of go through like go back to when I was like it was more off as in I'm I've always been the person that had different groups of friends.

SPEAKER_00 7:57

Um, you always see me with my Asian friends and you see me with my African friends. So you're able to identify. And I think people on the other side are like, oh, are you interested? Do we need to? And then I think one of my favorite parts was I got to be friends with this group of friends that were just like me. So none of them were in like from one country case, if you could say. Um and we and I I think looking at them the way they showed up made me realize it's fine. Yeah, I don't have to box myself in. Why do I allow society to say I need to be this or that, you know? Um, and I think I it truly is because of them and seeing how they were behaving and how they showed up. Um, I just naturally just kind of embraced it if I'm showing up in that sense. So again, when it comes to my corporate life, um, I would say I kind of do break a lot of my Japanese um culture into it. Um, when I'm around people, I I break that mesh my Ghanaian side. So it's it's just yeah, yeah, it's not that way.

SPEAKER_02 8:55

Yeah, and what I'm getting tapes on is that it took some time, right? Whereas when you were in Dubai, yeah, after all of those experiences, where and I think that's important, right? Because sometimes we think kind of early on you'll be able to fully embrace those identities, but I'm happy you you found them to show up um and sort to yourself. And so you were in Dubai, you studied Dubai, Shanghai, and then I know you worked in Dubai and went to as well. Thank you. So maybe we'll segue into professional.

SPEAKER_01 9:28

Not a professional corporation of that. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 9:31

So I'd love to get into that um a little bit. So do you help us through your your professional journey so far? When you did the work that you did, you know, you were at Unilever, you were at Flosh. Talk to sit down.

SPEAKER_00 9:45

I love that. Um, so my when I was in graduate school, um, that was my first master's in Dubai, it was a business school. So it was straight on, you're thinking through it, I need to get a job. And I kept thinking through to get a job. Everyone just kind of lets you know that you need to be in a big name. So I just naturally was like, I need to get into a big corporate company. And I wasn't boxed in in terms of like which industry you can say. Um, so at the time was more um, I want to get a job. Right.

SPEAKER_01 10:13

I mean, don't be here.

SPEAKER_00 10:15

Yeah, I need to get a job. So that's the very much see, and that was the end goal. Yeah, right. So in that sense, um, as you kids, I'm a I'm a networker, so I was networking, um, just meeting people. If there was any career fair, I do attending. If there's any opportunity events, I'm there talking and meeting people. Um, and the one thing was there was this one HR person um that came for one of the career fair, and then I I immediately spoke with him throughout. Um, and I guess I followed through with that, even with that because I had to get to somehow. So um, yeah, I had to I had to go to Shanghai because of um the way the master's program was, we do have a home campus and then you kind of do a rotational campus. So Dubai was my home campus and I rotated to Shanghai, but I really wanted to work with them. Um, so I was staying in contact with him. And I think once I also went to the company and the office and seen the people there. So again, it's an industry I'm not aware of. So this is the Bosch, Bosch Company. Okay. It's all about power tools and devices. No, I've seen your microwave, I've seen that form.

SPEAKER_02 11:18

Yeah, but I have seen that before.

SPEAKER_00 11:20

If anyone had asked me when I began my studies, is that where you want to go in? No. Kitchen and finance, right? Yes.

SPEAKER_02 11:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:28

I I took you to think of it. I did not think about the industry. It was more of I would say it was the people. The people is the one that was like, I want to come, I want to do something important. And that's what's important. And I'm glad that's what made me choose to go there. And it was great, and then I was like, okay, I was being able to do all of that. Then I moved on to Nileva, and you never challenge you so well um in terms of the product, and because every product has a purpose behind it. Yeah. So like you feel like you're part of the drive and the journey. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:53

So especially when you go to the supermarket and then you see someone grabbing that idea, you're like, you know, I was part of the process for you to actually have this product and you have this pride.

SPEAKER_00 12:04

Yeah. Um, but all of this was great. Okay. However, um, I you know I don't know at what point, but I think I would kind of go a little bit backwards. Yeah. So this was my master's, right? So my undergrad was in Ghana, and it was my final year that um I stumbled upon because it was not planned again. Um, I actually during a summer holiday, I was um following strain at an orphanage in Ghana. And I think that was the point where the talent is everywhere, but Patrick C is not also kind of started being playing in my head because that's when I realized that unfortunately they were it was like a process, just once the kids wake up, you feed them, you birth them, and then they sleep. And that was the cycle. And no fault of theirs because that's all they can do. It's like manpower, resources, and everything. Uh, that was like what happens to the educational agenda? What happens to building an art so that they can actually succeed after this? Because it's a girl on their development, because it's great to feed them, it's great to keep them performed amazingly well. And they do, I would honestly say they did it so well. I love that power for me. I came in and saw a guy, and I was like, what can I do? And at that time, this is where May Fan just kind of just went into my head. Um, but you know, as a young person, you know, you have to get a job. So I know I wanted to do that. So I was doing little things like where me and my friends would go to the fan. They used to kind of play games with the kids. Yeah, because they should give them sports day. Yeah. Um, and then we kind of did like a pancake um making with them once. And you curated all I curated all of this, but like but it was more of like a one-off kind of event. So was that kind of in consistently or thinking this was going to be like an official thing? Yeah. Was more something I wanted to give them in that sense. And bear in mind, this was when I was in undergrad, final yeah. So fast forward now, I've been Dubai, yeah, masters, or you're thinking of his job.

SPEAKER_01 13:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:57

Though at the back of your mind, this hasn't left you, right? So as I'm going through this corporate, like, it was still, I think every day was becoming more apparent to me that this is what I enjoy doing. Because I realized that even with my summer holidays or my leave days when I was in the corporate world, I always will do things related to that. So with my church back in Dubai, we traveled to Kenya to do such a big um project with an orphanage there. And the joy I always feel whenever I go and come back, I was like, oh, I don't think I can lie to myself anymore. And then COVID was my pivot. COVID was that point that I think I think there was a time that everyone kind of was able to slow down. And in that slow point forces you it we were forced to. Yeah, we didn't plan on to. Yeah, because it was very like the buying is very fast-paced. So I was you're just going in and going out.

SPEAKER_02 14:48

Right. And when you're working too, or even in school, it's like you're me and yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:52

So I think that time I started realizing I really do want to get into education fully. How do I how do I actually pay with myself? Because if you look at my background, I have nothing in that sense, right? So I was like, how do I position myself so that companies in education feel it would take me seriously? In that sense, um, so I was applying or applying to universities, I was applying to this and that. Um because I was like, I just want to do education. Don't my focus was early childhood education, right?

SPEAKER_02 15:17

But this is still while you were working while like in Dubai in Dubai, yeah. Okay, but your heart was telling you want to go education. Yes. And that's and it sounds like that that felt very purposeful.

SPEAKER_00 15:31

They talk about trips and okay, and so you were physically in Dubai, but yeah, I was already applied and thinking I was like, yeah, we need to do something. Yeah, okay. Um and luckily it worked out. I got a lovely job in back in Dana Um with this amazing, amazing university that has the mission um that and then like that I kind of felt very connected to. It was all about they I would say are doing the match of allowing opportunity to be given to everyone. Um, the business module was just perfect where they could provide so much scholarships for underprivileged children. So access to this quality education, higher education. Join them and I joined them. And I'm glad they saw something they need, and I could be available to that. So that was like the right pivot that I needed.

SPEAKER_02 16:17

Um I didn't need the education or the background. Right. You were it almost sounds like you were about trans. I was able to transfer.

SPEAKER_00 16:24

Whether it's the business attitude, yeah, the experiences I experience, and I think what they'll I think education is really much about your drag, your passion, that you want to do. Um because if we think about it, it uh we all need all these skills in education, right? We might teach it, we're training in whatever sense, right? So what do you actually want to get into this? Is this a course you feel you know passionate of? And I think they could see that. Um, yeah, and I think since they're not just being in this education space now.

SPEAKER_02 16:52

Yeah, yeah, no, that's wonderful. And maybe just to bring more context into your journey, take us back to I know you said your first master's was it you were in studying business. And and now you're pursuing your second master's. You're gonna get we're gonna get all into it. Um but take us a little bit through that journey. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:15

Um so what it was was um the whole reason I wanted to get into education was because of the experience I had at the orphanage where I wanted to provide quality. Okay, so that was like being So that was it. Okay. So now I've entered the industry. Yeah, but at the same time I realized I still wasn't fully committing myself into the the mission that I have for myself, which was doing that for the underprivileged children. Yeah, I was still doing it and I've been doing it, but it was it was becoming harder. And I started to notice um I had some gaps that I needed to fill myself to be able to have the right skills and the right training, to be able to actually make this a big deal, to be able to actually provide it sustained. Um that's why I was like, I think it's time I do this and and take a break from this. Um now I have more understanding of the education industry, the system and everything. Um, but now how do I arbitrarily build this foundation back in Ghana to actually provide this quality and child education that I want to provide for these children? Correct.

SPEAKER_02 18:16

Maybe that we're gonna get into it. But just before we do, were there, and especially given your experience in corporate, what are the takeaways and maybe transfers you were able to make and bring it to the education industry and the work you are doing now?

SPEAKER_00 18:32

Yeah, I was saying, I mean, we we say corporate and education, but if I if I looked at it, I think um stepping back from it, and it was still corporate in a sense because I was working in higher education and you still need your project management, you still need your time management, as well as you have KPIs to achieve. But now the KPIs was not monetary, it was now more of impact. The students' employment, students' um academic achievements, those were now more of the key thing, and that's all more good to handle. Yeah, yeah. So, in that sense, I would say the transferable skills was easy in that sense, where I know I have the same framework, but now the goals of the frameworks are just different.

SPEAKER_02 19:08

Right. So as long as like a plug-in thing, it was a fluby like yeah, for you and just easily take those frameworks and apply it. So I think that's a perfect transition to Mayfund. Yeah. So inception, final year in college, right around the start of the pandemic in 2021. Uh what was it like building May Fund and the May Fund Foundation? And I think we may first tell us about more about May Fund and the work that you're doing, and then take us back to what it was like building that.

SPEAKER_00 19:42

Yeah, so May Fund is um there too, I think upsetting in a way, but it's more so we want to kind of provide this after school quality and charter training for the children. And what we do is we do workshops. And we're able to do these workshops by actually going and meeting the children at where they are, which are at the orphanage. Um, so we go there. So let's say we are going to implement a training for them for their social and emotional learning. We take maybe three-month period where we have volunteers kind of conducting these workshops at the orphanages.

SPEAKER_02 20:14

How do you find the volunteers and the even yeah?

SPEAKER_00 20:19

That's so that's where I would say luckily, the skill that I'm able to talk with people and with people come in play. Um, and again, this is where I would say the transferable skill from corporate, because I've kind of worked in partnerships and relationship building. I know how to do project management. So you know the stakeholders that's needed, you need the pieces that have to come together, you know how to like picture to them, and you just luckily get the right people. The only challenge because it's more of like a non-profit, you don't have money to actually pay these volunteers or you're doing it out of their heart. But the good thing is is people that actually believe in the cause. So that's the type of people you know. And that's the kind of people you know, right? Yeah. So when they're doing the work, um, it's amazing. And there's something about randomly going to a networking event and talking about something, and the person is like, Oh, I I strongly believe in what you're doing. What what is the issue? What do you need? What kind of support do you have? And then they just want help, they just want to help. So I guess it's more of like going out there and telling people what you're doing, um, and not just hide, like, don't do do not be shy about speaking about it. Like, even if you're having a problem, do tell them because you never know. Someone is actually like, I I'm gonna get involved with this. I want to help you, I want to support. And I guess those are the little things that have been able to make me be able to do these workshops. I know you asked about how I got the volunteers. Um they started usually with my friends, so I'm close friends that have already heard me talking about this. Um, then stop every time. Um had a very good friend who is like a graphic designer, so he designed um the first main fan logo. We've been using that since. Um, she's really creative and in that. Sense and he will support and do like the video taking up pictures and I'll have other friends that actually were like, I I want to help you know to donate. So that was another form of help. Um and then the great things about working some part of these organizations, like I'm not like the Global Shapers, as well as the One Young World. So these are people that naturally want to do social impact and do good. So people like that and I would happy to take a weekend, like a two-hour weekend off, to actually teach children. They will love that. And so these are the little things. It's not like coming to meet people that feel aligned with your vision and mission, and then they they will join you.

SPEAKER_02 22:38

Yeah. And now it seems like Ray Fund is the crux that everything does, right?

SPEAKER_01 22:43

Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_02 22:44

I kind of run away from that. Yeah, everything else just revolves around. Yeah. Um, and so what's the vision for Mayfound?

SPEAKER_00 22:57

I like this because you hold me accountable so that I can.

SPEAKER_01 23:00

Yes, we're gonna follow up with these. So I'm gonna put it out there.

SPEAKER_00 23:04

Yes, and hopefully that's and so that I can look back into this and say, I need it. Yeah. And so the plan for Mayfound is the goal is I want to keep doing this workshop. I want to do the workshops consistently. Yeah, where it's a continuous cycle, and we are partnering with more ofphanages and other institutions. So I don't know. And these are the developmental workshops. Yes. And we are the collaborative. Okay, yes. And at the moment, what we are doing is we've partnered with two ofphanages in Ghana, and it's been going great, but sometimes we've not been able to do it as consistent as we want again because you can't always have available volunteers or funding issues, or unfortunately finding and fight time as well. So those are kind of the cracks in. Hence why I'm here to kind of gain all the right skills and the knowledge and everything. So the main thing is like to make sure our contents that we're teaching these children for their developmental stages are actually evidence-based, right? And then being right here where there's so many resources, research, labs that are doing that, I'm like, this is perfect. Yes, I'm learning everything. I'm going and I'm like asking questions. I'm like, yeah, yeah. And and I'm loving the classes that we're taking because it's teaching me how to actually design a curriculum that will help the developmental need is mainly their motor skills, or you know, how they are cognitive or how to be relate to their colleagues and everything. Um, so that's the goal. The goal is to make sure that we're able to do this consistently.

SPEAKER_02 24:25

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 24:26

So that's the main thing.

SPEAKER_02 24:27

As simple as that. As simple as that. I like it. Yeah. Because it's sustainable. Yes, right. So it's if you can keep the pace of gift, that's how you know why you're building something valuable. Yeah. Yeah, that's wonderful. Um I want to get into a little bit more about your accuracy, right? Um, we touched on it. This is your second master's. It sounds to me, Some of me, that one master's isn't enough intellectual stimulation for you. So talk to us a little bit more about your journey to Harvard. Uh huh. Um, what's journey like? How did you have a patient? Yeah, we're working. You have you're not process. Tell us about that journey.

SPEAKER_00 25:14

It it was an interesting this journey. Um at the time I had always wanted to feather my education, even after when I was done with my first master's. And I knew I wanted to go more into education. Okay. Um, but then okay, you know how society makes you feel like you've already working. You already have a first master's. Why do you want to do that?

SPEAKER_02 25:36

Right. And it's hard actually. It's works outing, it's very hard. Which, yeah, not it's just to the it's a sacrifice, a huge sacrifice. There's a huge opportunity.

SPEAKER_00 25:44

So I heard that thought, right? And then I kind of just put it on the side, yeah, kept on doing my work. Um, and remember I have two jobs from good friends that I had made in Dubai, um, two of them actually made um the big sacrifice themselves where they went to pursue their MBA. Um, and very minority had their masters as well. And had uh, but I guess they they were also kind of pivoting as well. So they went to do their their masters in the actually, sorry, their MBA did it actually came in the US. And in watching them and speaking with them and me telling them that I had thought about it, but I thought, why now? Why do you want to do it? Why don't you take backwards?

SPEAKER_02 26:21

And hearing them and listening to the uh And backwards, did you feel like going back to school almost felt like it did feel like they're going back progressing?

SPEAKER_00 26:31

Okay, somehow you feel like you're Chris, but the truth is we are not. We're actually and this happened with um recently we did a workshop and then this discep the the woman said think of it as you're kind of now getting out of it and getting a better eye viewed. Yeah, so then now you can actually plan it well. Right. So I feel like this is the best time for us. Like we've kind of taken ourselves back and put every pieces together and see how we actually want to arrange them for the future, right? When we do graduate. Because sometimes you could just keep doing and but you're not doing right. It gives you clarity, it does keep you clarity, and it forces you, it forces to you, yeah. So I guess that conversation was more of that point where I was like, you know what, they could do it. Yeah, I'll I'll give it a shot. Yeah, um, and at the time I was thinking I'm doing a PhD.

SPEAKER_01 27:16

Oh, wow. I know I never fan of it.

SPEAKER_02 27:20

I'm not surprised that, yeah. And I guess we can't say, I mean, you can always still pursue. I I could, but that would be another.

SPEAKER_00 27:28

So I really wanted to pursue PhD. And I was thinking, and again, this was me thinking, oh, you can have PhD whilst you're still working. So I'm still having that mindset. I'm still having that mindset that you have to like up to length, yeah. Right. So that was the thought process at the beginning. And then they were like, why are you only limiting yourself? Open it up and let's see. Like just when I say open it up, I did, because if I want to do whilst I'm working at the time I was in London, if I do that, then it's I'm only looking at the European context, right? So I'm limiting myself. But if I open it up and I'm not saying that I need to be working and doing it, you kind of tend to choose more. So that was kind of the process. Um, and then I looked into Harvard's um programs and it spoke to me. Yeah. It really did. And I was like What about so the education leadership program was literally talking about what I've been, what I I felt like I was missing and what I needed to be able to fully make Mayfa and skill and be sustainable. You know, so I think like people who just want to change the world in educational context, in a sense that they want to provide more equity and um access to education. And I was like, yeah, that's me. So every like I was reading it and you're reading it and you're like, I mean, and then they start telling about all the concentrations. They're like global, the global concentration, the early childhood concentration, arts and learning, this, and I was like, amazing. And I have at this point, I have now come to a point where whatever you find yourself in, make sure that you have an alignment with the institution you go in. Forget the big name, because we all want to be attached to a brand. But we need to make sure that we're treating a place where we are aligned with their goals. And in reading, like the Graduate School of Education, the ambition and what they believed in, I was like, that is that is what I also believe in. And then looking at the research that they're doing, and the professors and the faculty, you can tell that they all actually have a passion and a drive to actually making a change in this specific space. And I was like, the best way is to be among these people and just learn from that. Because that's that's how I feel while's apply, like I'm missing something. I give me all that knowledge I'm missing.

SPEAKER_02 29:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 29:40

In a better way to be in the right space.

SPEAKER_02 29:42

You were hungry. I was hungry before. I'm like, yeah. And it also sounds like there was this beautiful synerging out. You felt like you were lacking or you wanted to learn more. Yeah. And then you're reading about the graduate school. You challenge and the person and it seemed like there was this to you too, yeah, like that you see. Yeah. And so then what was that journey like why and how did you approach the process? What did you to what did you do to some set yourself up, to differentiate yourself? Yeah, talk this about that.

SPEAKER_00 30:16

Yeah. Um, it was more of like I said talking to people. So I know to professors around me, my previous professors back when I was doing my FEX Masters, and because I I want to go into education space, and who better to than talk with actresses? Because they are in that world, they understand. So I was thinking, I was just asking. It was more like asking you, dude, am I being crazy? Um like, no, go for it, do it. Like, yes, they uh so that was one goal, right? And then and I'm like, what would you want to see in in an application? And what would make you how do I actually put what I'm trying to say, like why I want to be big in letters, like in words. Like how in it, which is like just be real, just just put everything down, start from there. So I like that, like, and then it comes down to this way a bit of transferable skills come in place. It's more of knowing about before you write an essay, just write all that skeleton in.

SPEAKER_02 31:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:10

It some of them might not sprain, dump in it, just dump in it.

SPEAKER_02 31:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:14

And after you've dumped it in, then you keep reading through it, yeah, and make your make it make sense. Follow through it. So like that's what I did. So like, and I also did a more of like a project management or time management with it, because let's say you know when the application date starts, you know when the deadline is. Yeah. And it's a lot of things. As you said, I'm also working as well, right? So I actually started the process before the application um started. Because I knew because they always tell you the things that are required. Yeah. So I also make sure I did my GRE the year before I was actually applying. So it's like I'm doing this project management where I'm like, what are the things that are required? And you're working backwards. You're working backwards. Because I believe that the GRE would take the longest for me. I need to go back.

SPEAKER_01 32:00

Yeah, my mathematics I think. So I was like, oh, no, there's algebra. I was going algebra, but I forgot, what was this again?

SPEAKER_00 32:11

And I enjoyed that process though.

SPEAKER_01 32:13

Oh, you liked it?

SPEAKER_00 32:14

I actually did, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:16

Oh, I actually enjoyed learning it. It was and it was like myself, accountability.

SPEAKER_00 32:21

So if let's say friends would message like us, go for dinner, I was like, dinner is like the time that I can do this because during the day I'm at the office. So my evening time with the only time.

SPEAKER_02 32:31

And unfortunately, the week very committed to I was, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 32:35

And I think I had to hold myself accountably nurses and telling my families what I want to do, and they also holding me accountable. So you are putting it out there for them to be like, even sometimes you might forget you want to go out of like remember this. Right. So it's almost like you're by stating your boundaries, it they're reflected. It is, it is like people really respect that way. It won't tell them why this is the reason. Um, yeah, and they are both like, yes, go for it, do it. Like we understand. I mean, it gets sad sometimes. You're like, I would not actually be.

SPEAKER_01 33:03

You were sad in all of a little because you can you're sunny outside, and you just have oh that we're just learning this.

SPEAKER_00 33:10

Oh my god. Right? Yeah, so this so the project management piece, I'm doing all of this, and but I think the hardest bit was that the personal statement that is really but it sounds like yeah, just in fact, cool.

SPEAKER_02 33:21

It sounds like you had a very clear, right? You knew what you wanted to do. I did, yeah, right. And there was all this you wanted to let him have you feel this on it. So I always say it harder.

SPEAKER_00 33:32

It's hard because you still realize it, but it's harder to let that come out in words. Some people are very good and blessed with it. I never thought I had that in. So I think that was also maybe my own criticism. I was criticizing myself. Didn't know how to put it out on paper, right? I was like, look, I didn't know. I was like, okay, I put it down on paper, but in me putting it out on paper, is that other person able to read it, tell what I'm trying to do is just convey. Do you get the message? Or am I the emotions? Yeah. So so that was kind of where for me was the difficulties. Okay. So, and I think maybe in a way it was good I was that critical of myself because if I tell it a number of times, I wish I read and edited and read and edited, and think it got to a point I was like, there's a lot of other ways you can say a sentence because English. Oh, yeah. So you can keep doing this somewhere. Yeah, so it gets to a point, you need to accept what you have and be maybe trust that it's good enough. And I had to say that to myself because I I I was doing so and ask me, is it that and always be like almost? I always use the word almost and like you're always at the 95%, right? Some point up 95%, I never got to 100. For B. It's not like I was like, no, there's something else missing. Every time I read it, I'm like, there's something else missing.

SPEAKER_01 34:48

I was like, we would never finish this.

SPEAKER_00 34:51

The deadline will come and go. And I think that's why it's good they have a deadline. It forces you to be like, I trust this. And you started the process so early.

SPEAKER_02 34:59

I did, yeah. I didn't have time to sit and think, you know, reflect and refise. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 35:04

And I made sure I had people that I trusted around it to read it. Okay. And give me that criticism. I'm like, please don't sugarcoat and just tell me, yeah, is it really bad? Or is it great? Where else can I improve? What should I just leave? Some things may not even make sense. And like, yeah, no, just tell me what it is. And having all this feedback from all these people was good. Because they may get, and I think I like this when we're doing that HPL when they made us do the peer-to-peer review. They said, um, yes, I'm gonna give you feedback, but you are the author. It doesn't mean you have to take their feedback, but it's good to have that feedback, right? So I love listening to all of that, and there were things that made sense to me. I was like, actually, thank you. This is what I'm trying to say, and you saying that me changing it, made the impact stronger. First, there are some things I was like, if they want me to be something, I was like, I personally feel strongly that I want this to be in this paper at the moment, right? And that's again, that's you are the only one who can make that decision because you are the author.

SPEAKER_02 36:02

And you get to have that agency to have that. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 36:05

So I would say the best thing is always having people around you that you trust and respect to read it. Right. It's a personal thing, so you're ready for them to have to open up and it requires a sense of vulnerability. They're editoring and it's like, but yeah, yes, and then I honestly each one of them that read it and gave me the feedback was I was putting all of that together was one main. I didn't know that it's strong, even though I was still editing it.

SPEAKER_02 36:32

Yeah, but right, you know, because and you and feel so attached to it too. But I loved Salami, you talked about feedback, right? And Professor Um Monica Higgins always talks about how feedback is a gift that you can choose if you want to buy. Oh, yeah. And I think that's great because it puts the autonomy back on you because if you have the onus, you die when they're in the you get to hear someone else's feedback, right? And that is certainly a gift, but you also get to choose one of the pieces and you want it. So I liked how you focused on how that's a huge part of this personal statement. Isn't that an application to be the hardest art? Yeah, well, and with the personal statement, but yeah, yeah. And so now you're here, yes, you're at Harvard, yes. Tell us a little bit about your time here. I know we're just getting started.

SPEAKER_00 37:22

I mean, we're in the same book, yeah. Um whoa, it's so this place is huge. That's the right word, I couldn't say right now. Yeah, and so many opportunities. But you're just one person. So you felt like you just have like, I'm chasing, I want every but you cannot have everything, right? So it forces you to actually narrow down your interest, it forces you to be like focused on what you really, really want. And it takes you back to before you actually apply it here, why to treat you can apply. Remember your why. Remembering that why kind of keeps you grounded here, because like this also sounds interesting. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 38:06

Everything's like there's so many things going on.

SPEAKER_00 38:09

Yeah. But it comes down to why are you here? Yeah, what it is that you need. But at the same time, too, to don't box yourself because that's enough for like branch out a bit. Take something that you're not used to or have would never think of doing. This is your only chance. Yeah. So yeah, I obviously that's how hard it has been so far.

SPEAKER_02 38:29

Um, it's straddling this being willing to learn something new, but also being ringborn and being rooted and anchored. Yeah. Yeah. Salome. We're gonna get into um the closing wrap-up. Oh, okay. Okay. Um, we've talked about who you are professionally. We've talked about your your academic journey. Tell us a little bit about who you are, beside in the classroom, what are you outside of office? Tell us more about the salome we don't get to see. Oh.

SPEAKER_00 39:02

So that salami has really changed.

unknown 39:04

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 39:06

So I say I am a little different. I'm still the same. Okay. But there's this other side of me that comes out depending on the city that I live in. And it's very interesting. I I I I'm intriguing myself as you um so I can be an outdoor person. You are in a I can't be. You can depending on where I am.

unknown 39:25

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 39:25

So it's very different. When I was in Dubai, I'm a very outdoor person. Not like hiking with my friends. We'll do this trip, we're a trip and that. Okay. When I was in Madden, it was the opposite. I was an indoor person. Really? Does the weather as opposed to weather? I don't know. But I enjoyed my indoor space. Really? And not leaving my friends at home. And that was like most of my social activity. I don't know. I don't do it like a watch party, so we'll be doing lava style, we'll do a watch party at a friend's place. Yeah, um, we'll do a close swap at a friend's place. Um, and once in a while we'll do go out, but I was more an indoor person. So I was like, huh. I thought I was an outdoor person, but apparently not. Okay. Um, and since I've been here in Boston, I love Boston because Boston reminds me a little bit up with London. Um I haven't forget my Boston self yet. Okay. But one thing I would say, and I usually don't do this, and if my friends ever see this, they will be like, What? I usually do not go for a run, but since I've been here And you could make it a test, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 40:28

It's insane. You wake up and everyone is running. Everyone is on it, so at every time of day, everywhere. I was like, maybe there could be the new salon bay.

SPEAKER_00 40:39

Um, and I would say I have actually started mining, but not consistently like every day, like how the rest of them are.

SPEAKER_01 40:46

The rest of them.

SPEAKER_00 40:47

Because I think they are the true Bostonians. Yeah, no, I'm not inversing myself in it. And I on a Sunday when the Charles River, when they do actually um close it up, I think cycle and and I've I've been enjoying them.

SPEAKER_01 41:00

You're on another level. You said heck with the running. I I am enjoying this little one.

SPEAKER_02 41:07

Oh, I love that. I need to pull some inspiration about you, and that's awesome. So it seems like you almost adapts, I do, to the environment of the countries that you're in, and whether it's the running or whether it's the outdoors, even the indoors, right? It sounds like Kuri Balthomas shake um okay. So this program sales one year. Okay, right? Right. Sadly. Sadly, sadly. What are you hoping to happen?

SPEAKER_00 41:36

Oh, it's a big question.

SPEAKER_02 41:37

I know. Loaded one.

SPEAKER_00 41:39

It's a big question because I think I have so many aspirations. Um and how do you decide, right? How do you decide? How do you take? But I need to tell myself why couldn't I have it all?

SPEAKER_02 41:53

So Yeah, yeah. I the whole thing of like you can have the king and you can Yeah, I I want it not. And what is all three?

SPEAKER_00 42:02

So what is what is me click says? Um declining me fan, just running okay running fully consistently. Yeah. And giving this impact to the children. Okay. And in Ghana. In Ghana. That's that's my focus. Yes, absolutely. Um, but on this right, I still want to consult or do corporate philanthropy for really getting to that space. I enjoyed that. I I've been even doing good in where the big resources are.

SPEAKER_02 42:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 42:30

And that's where all done corporate philanthropy. I like that.

SPEAKER_02 42:34

I guess it combines that corporate side, right? In that lines, the social and that work again to sound like the right method. Yeah. Wonderful. Okay, so shall we get into our rapid fire where I get Freshana segment for our last slit on it here? Okay. Homesteads. Yeah. Okay. All right. Favorite thing about Harvard, least everything about Harvard. Oh, that's a good question. And I'm like, what happened to you?

SPEAKER_00 43:00

Favorite thing about Harvard is you'll be walking and you will see a poster saying, Oh, the minister or the primary song display is covering the air.

SPEAKER_01 43:10

You know, oh yeah, just so cast. Just all in the street. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 43:14

Um, yeah. So yeah, it's it can go anywhere and everywhere, and everything is just fine. Um, and the people you meet, like so diverse, interesting, exceptional. Everyone is exceptional. So you might just be grabbing a coffee at one of the coffee shops and then just have a chat with one person, and it will blow your mind. Someone could have been actually randomly met someone who used to work at the space that took, I think, I forgot having Katie Perry and the other woman. I forgot that company's name, but random. I don't think in my life I've ever met anyone who had worked in space. Yeah. Uh I think like a space company, not like in space. Yeah. Yeah. Um, but yeah, like little things like that.

SPEAKER_02 44:00

That um you talk about blue origin and that yeah um just kind of rind off things and yeah like people just people are so on and but people are very nice a lot with it and you're like yeah yeah cool and it's interesting to hear about everyone's why the idea yeah so different part of the experience but we are all here but everyone has a different why it's so interesting yeah yeah okay I'm not gonna let you escape from the least favorite oh least favorite is the fact that there's too many things to do and number one being I hear you that's a good one can you give me more hands in some great um okay best any sponsor so I'm still expert because I'm trying to do that I'm holding myself accountable to go beyond uh government okay so I tried uh the law library and I'm starting to realize that the law libraries if I want to concentrate the most okay is the place to go very quiet everyone is cold and reading so that atmosphere just makes you just quite focus on you yeah and I had tried the HBS one as well and it's also great yeah it feels more I feel more of um I can work as well like yeah trick child but it's I could also lean it and come on it's just friendly it's yeah it's it's whole so well um so so it depends on what you need it depends on the type of study day what you need is it a day just you want to trick child with people or is it a day where you're like I'm super but it seems like law school law school is okay the place all right I like that um if you weren't at Harvard this super sound right where would you be oh good question if it was not yeah you could have learned two things I would have probably still stayed at the way I was okay but I think I would have done a disservice to myself knowing who I am um because there's a reason why I was feeling that this was a time that I needed to do this change right um so that would have maybe me taking the easy way out yeah but let's say I was bored maybe I would have been bored enough to just move to Ghana and just get my hands dirty work.

SPEAKER_00 46:13

Yeah so getting there yeah hands on yeah yeah that's all so maybe that's perfect segue the last maybe last question Salamate what do you think is your your con you just talked to me about gallon you talk to us about me but you're here what do you think in common I truly believe my calling is um I don't know why I'm tearing up um the my true calling is to kind of provide this opportunity and access to the underprivileged children and kids that they were playing field or then to also start the race at the right stuff that they don't feel like they were at a disadvantage just because of the funny they grew up in or the circumstances that they were faced with uh the same what a powerful yeah Salami thank you so much thank you sorry what's your adamant thank you for opening up sharing your story it's such a pleasure thank you