Ekua Nkyekyer

What is your favorite memory of your experience in the Department of African and African American Studies (AAAS)?

I was thrilled when the department offered its concentrators the opportunity to have a small discussion session with the Asantehene (King of Ashanti) and his entourage when he visited Harvard in the fall of 2005. It is special occasions like these, and the daily interactions with African and African-American scholars that I remember most fondly, especially because of all the things I learned from them that no class could have taught me.

What was your favorite course that you took in the AAAS Department?

Swahili! I absolutely loved my Swahili language classes – the relaxed atmosphere made learning a new language all the more enjoyable, as no one was afraid to make mistakes and then learn from them.

Was there anything that surprised you about your experience in the Department?

I did not anticipate such a friendly and welcoming atmosphere from both the teaching and administrative staff. Everything from the freedom to sit in Raines library and read, nap or just relax to the accessibility of the faculty came as a pleasant surprise, as it was quite unlike my perceptions of and previous experiences with the larger more impersonal Harvard departments.

Is there anything about African and African American Studies that you think is unique?

The course of study in African and African-American Studies is as interdisciplinary as it is focused. I have found that with African Studies as a focal point I have been able to branch out and study music, history, politics, literature and language. Few departments at Harvard offer such flexibility without losing sight of the central theme.

When and why did you decide to become a concentrator in African and African American Studies/Afro-American Studies?

I entered Harvard in 2003 as a prospective Chemical Engineering concentrator, which is unbelievable now that I look back and realise how far I am from that area of study. It was during the summer after freshman year that I decided that I found the sciences neither intellectually stimulating nor enjoyable, and so with the Handbook for Students by my side I set out to find a concentration which fully encompassed what I wanted to do.
I spent weeks pondering my interests and career goals and deciding on which course of study to follow and it turned out that a joint concentration in Economics and African Studies was the perfect fit.
I am currently in my third year in the department of African and African American Studies and I can confidently say that I have never once regretted my decision.

What do you plan to do after graduation?

In the two years I plan to spend in the ‘real world’ before pursuing a graduate degree in business administration or international development (or both!), I hope to travel extensively around the African continent for a year, with the goal of broadening my perspectives on the African experience. I also plan on working in a Francophone country for a year but that all depends on how the year of travel goes!