At 13, I Had My Whole Life Figured Out

I had just written my final BECE paper on a Friday, somewhere around June 2013 and in my mind, the path ahead was clear. My Dad only asked one thing of me — study. We weren't rich, but he made sure I had every textbook, every gadget, everything I needed. All he wanted was to see me happy.

Then 2015 happened.

A storm hit our home, one I still can't find the right words to describe. Mum left the country, Dad was left alone, and suddenly, everything changed. My feeding money was no longer handed to me directly. It went through Mr. George Amoah (formally known as 3ny3 Eazy), our Head of Business Department at Abuakwa State College, who would disperse it to me. My father, in his wisdom, placed me under one of the strictest facilitators on campus. I think he knew the weight of what was happening at home was dragging me down.

And it was.

I stopped studying. I lived a life I wasn't proud of. But just before WASSCE, Mr. Amoah knocked some sense into me and I slowly found my footing again.

My Dad and Mr. Amoah had already mapped out my future — BSc Accounting at University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA). I was good at it, but deep down, I wanted IT. I had been groomed for it since childhood. Still, I respected their decision. I finished WASSCE at 15, gained admission to UPSA in 2016, and for a moment, there was joy in our home after a long, dark season.

Then the storm returned.

Halfway through my first semester, the past came back to haunt us. My old man was knocked down again by the weight of it all. I remember walking the streets of Accra with my friend David Buabeng, searching for any work we could find. We were young, but we knew we couldn't sit idle.

By grace, I found a job as a Storekeeper Assistant at Gold Coast Restaurant under Francesca Quagraine and William Quagraine. I grew through the ranks — Storekeeper, Store Manager, and eventually managing key Operations.

Then Came Sunday, 6th January 2019

My Dad was killed in a hit-and-run by a sprinter driver. The driver was old. Fragile. I remember the rage I felt — I wanted to strangle that driver. But when I saw him in the court chambers, all I felt was pity. I tried to turn my life around after that.

Things were going well, until COVID-19 hit in 2020.

The hospitality industry was crushed. Shifts were cut. Staff were laid off. From February to June 2020, I stayed home watching my savings drain. I knew I had to do something — anything.

I walked into an HR consulting firm in Madina, directly opposite UPSA, submitted my CV, and interviewed for a Sales Executive role at an interior design company. With my little experience from Google's Digital Marketing course, I believed I could do it. My boss, Archibald Kwame Freduah-Agyemang, pushed us to think bigger — to one day build something of our own.

Back to School

In November 2020, my elder brother called. "It's time to go back to school."

I applied to Ghana Communication Technology University (GCTU) for a B.Tech in Computer Science. I gained admission in January 2021, paid part of the fees, and received my schedule — evening classes. But my work shifts clashed with the timetable, and management couldn't give me weekday evenings off. I understood. I couldn't expect to work only nights on weekends.

So I let go of that admission. Painful, but necessary.

Let's skip ahead.

I finally enrolled at Methodist University Ghana (MUG) to pursue BSc Information Technology. The road was bumpy — juggling work, counting countless okadas I took, running and fighting mothers in Accra trotros just to catch a car to campus. But I was determined to make the most of it.

On campus, I served as Programming Head of MUITSA (Methodist University Information Technology Student Association), leading the programming team and organizing coding workshops, hackathons, and tech events. It felt good to finally be in my element — doing what I'd been groomed for since childhood.

Then I gained employment at Bandwidth Global, and things slowly started to balance out.

The Scholarship That Almost Was

In 2025, I received news that changed everything. I'd been awarded a $12,000 KATZ STEM Fellows Scholarship for the MS Cybersecurity Program at Katz School of Science and Health under Yeshiva University in New York for the Fall 2025 semester. For a moment, I saw the future I'd always dreamed of within reach. But unforeseen circumstances with funding meant I couldn't complete my enrollment. Another door closed, but I'd learned by now that closed doors don't mean the end.

On Saturday, 22nd November 2025, I was conferred a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology by our Dean, Prof. H. Mensah Brown.

It hasn't been easy. But every journey, every mistake, every lesson has shaped me into who I am today.

Gratitude

To my lovely Mum Francesca Quagraine and Dad William Quagraine — I wouldn't be a man today if it weren't for either of you. Thank you so much for everything.

To my sisters — Anita Hagan-Biney, Christiana, and Victoria — thank you for always watching out for your little brother.

To my Mum, thank you for your never-ending prayers, even when I'm too tired or stubborn to say "Thank You, Jesus." You say it on my behalf.

To my Dad — I am grateful for the lessons in discipline, patience, and perseverance. I wouldn't be here without you.

A special thank you to Dr. Richmond Opoku-Sarkodie for his mentorship and tutelage during my tenure on campus. He's doing incredible things in AI and Machine Learning research, and I aspire to be up there with him one day.

And finally, to my brother Kingsley — thank you for being my rock, my provider, my Dad, and my best friend. You're not here with me right now to share this moment, but I pray you're proud of your little brother.

The journey continues.