By Stanley Senya, GNA
Accra, Oct. 13, GNA – The MTN Bright Scholarship has supported Solicity Amankwa-Taylor, a graduate of the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), to overcome her financial difficulties and earn three academic awards during her university education.
Ms Amankwa-Taylor, who studied Environmental and Safety Engineering, was at risk of deferring her studies after her father lost his job, leaving her mother’s business as the family’s main source of income.
The financial strain was compounded by the cost of supporting her elder brother, who was also pursuing tertiary education, making it difficult for the family to meet tuition, accommodation, and other educational expenses.
Her selection for the MTN Bright Scholarship eased the financial burden and enabled her to continue her education and concentrate on her academic work.
“When I found out I had been selected as an MTN Bright Scholar, I had hope in achieving my dreams again,” she said.
Ms Amankwa-Taylor’s academic performance earned her three awards, including the Best Level 200 Female Engineering Student at the ninth Ghana Mining Industry Awards (GMIA).
She also received the Professor Newton Attah Amegbey Award for Best Graduating Student in the Department of Environmental and Safety Engineering and the Prof. Douglas Boateng Award for Best Graduating Student in the Faculty of Geosciences and Environmental Studies at UMaT.
She said the scholarship enabled her to focus on her studies and support some of her colleagues academically.
“The scholarship helped me channel all my focus on my studies. With a sound mind, I was also able to help some of my colleagues academically,” she said.
Amankwa-Taylor is currently undertaking her national service as a Health, Safety and Environment personnel at YILPORT-ATSL in Takoradi, where she is applying the knowledge and skills acquired during her university education.
Her experience forms part of the impact stories associated with the MTN Bright Scholarship as MTN Ghana marks 30 years of operations in the country under the theme, “30 Years of Progress, Power to You.”
The scholarship, an initiative of the MTN Ghana Foundation, supports academically talented but financially disadvantaged students in public tertiary institutions.
The programme covers tuition and accommodation and provides stipends for reading materials and a laptop to support beneficiaries’ education.
The foundation says the initiative is aimed at helping students overcome financial barriers to tertiary education and pursue their academic and professional ambitions.
GNA
Edited by Christabel Addo