ASU Mastercard Foundation Scholars Redefine Global Impact
The fall semester often means new beginnings for many Arizona State University (ASU) students. As classes began, the final cohort of Mastercard Scholars participating in a unique 3+1+1 partnership arrived at ASU to start their Masters’ degree coursework. Since 2016, students from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and Ashesi University have completed their undergraduate studies at ASU and obtained a Masters’ degree within a two-year residency at ASU (read here for more information about the SIL program). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the last cohort studied remotely, remaining at their home institutions and countries, including Ghana, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Zimbabwe.
The pandemic limited travel as borders remained closed worldwide, reducing the opportunities the Scholars had to complete international summer experiences and in-person activities. However, the Scholars received several innovative alternatives to expand their knowledge and gain new skills and not lose a summer’s worth of learning. Scholars participated in a myriad of opportunities, including in-country internships, virtual internships, volunteer opportunities, research and teaching assistantships, and remote skills-building programs leveraging local resources and support. These alternative summer experiences were made possible with the incredible support of the Scholars’ home institutions, who provided in-country logistics. At the same time, ASU supported the Scholars and institutional partners virtually.
To celebrate the Scholars’ summer activities and accomplishments, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at ASU organized a hybrid Fall Reception on Friday, September 24, 2021. This event formally welcomed the final 59 Scholars to campus and introduced the ASU community to these incredible students. Additionally, the Scholars, stakeholders, and the ASU community had a chance to dialogue and network. During the event, the Scholars highlighted the impactful experiences they had over the summer and showed appreciation for the support from key ASU and community stakeholders.
Two Scholars from the final cohort, Nazira Kwanda and Munyaradzi Madzoma, emceed the reception attended by over 125 guests joined in-person and virtually from across the world. As part of the event, Scholars showcased their various summer experiences ranging from internships with fortune 500 companies in the fields of engineering, global logistics, and business to research and teaching assistants with professors from their home institution. For example, Pamela Appiah and Emmanuella Tagoe examined the issue of a lack of incubators for infants in Ghanian hospitals and how periodic electricity cuts impact these medical centers. Utilizing their biomedical engineering background, they are working on designing an efficient incubator that does not require electricity in the hope of saving thousands of lives.
The 2021 Fall Reception is not only a celebration of the Scholars’ remarkable summer accomplishments but a recognition of resilience and collective actions. Iveta Silova, Associate Dean of Global Engagement and Professor in the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, delivered a keynote address and reinforced the notion of post-pandemic life marks a new beginning. The Scholars overcame the tremendous challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic as they continued to succeed in their academic and career goals while making a difference in their local communities and across the globe.
We invite you to watch the event recording here, and the event slideshow here.
You can also view the various activities the Scholars participated in here.