Musculoskeletal Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine piqued my interest during my third year as an undergraduate Biomedical Engineering student at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. I decided to pursue a graduate degree in this field. Although there are universities in Ghana that provide excellent graduate programs in Biomedical Engineering, a comprehensive study indicated that the research focus of these programs did not correspond with my interests.

In March 2020, COVID-19 led to the closure of all educational institutions in the country. The second semester of my third year had to be completed online. During that period, I began studying for the GRE because I knew that most universities in the US, whose research interests aligned with mine, required the GRE as part of the application process for a graduate degree in Biomedical Engineering. I didn't know much about the application process at the time, so I decided to contact study abroad organisations to see how much I would have to pay for mentorship during the process. After reaching out to several of these organizations, I discovered that the fees they demanded were hefty, something I had not anticipated.

As determined as I was, I decided to start the application without consulting any study abroad organization. I went to great lengths to demystify the graduate school application process while still studying for the GRE. I began researching the procedure and looking for schools to apply to. I discovered that due to COVID-19 constraints, a number of the schools I intended to apply to had waived the GRE requirement. I instantly discontinued studying for the GRE and put all my energy into enrolling in 11 online courses on COURSERA related to my field of interest, thanks to the Commonwealth of Learning Scholarship Program. During this period, I continued to research extensively about the application process in order to submit a strong application. I began compiling my documents to apply to the University of Rochester, NY as soon as possible. I informed my lecturers, and they agreed to submit recommendation letters on my behalf.

In July 2020, I finalized the first draft of my statement of purpose (SOP), on which three of my friends provided feedback. I made a few tweaks to the statement after carefully considering their suggestions. On February 14 2021, after confirming that I was satisfied with the SOP, I submitted my application along with all other required documents. I resolved not to apply to any other institution due to the stress I experienced from applying to the University of Rochester alone.

I was accepted to the University of Rochester to pursue my graduate studies in Biomedical Engineering some months after submitting my application. I was really stunned when I opened my portal to see the confetti all over my screen. I didn't know I would be able to gain admission into such a highly ranked and competitive program and institution without a GRE score. Due to COVID-19, and a subsequent impasse, I was unable to complete my final semester at KNUST early and was therefore unable to attend Rochester in the fall of 2021; consequently, I deferred my enrollment to the fall of 2022. I then joined the Cell Biology and Immunology Lab at the West African Center for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens as a National Service Personnel and a research assistant under Dr. Yaw Aniweh.

Due to my track record in mentoring others, I was chosen from a competitive pool by the Office of Residential Life and Housing Services to be the Graduate Head Resident for Gilbert Hall, University of Rochester. As a Graduate Head Resident, I currently supervise 14 Resident Advisors (RAs) or Apartment Resident Advisors (ARAs) to help build healthy and inclusive residential communities of about 500 freshmen while also fostering a vibrant academic and intellectual culture.

I express my profound gratitude to Dr. Elvis ResCue, Dr. Dorothy Araba Yakoba Agyapong, and Dr. Isaac Acquah for providing me with recommendation letters. I'm also thankful to Dr. Aniweh for his encouragement and guidance. To all my friends and family who supported me with prayers and words of encouragement, I'm really grateful.

The University of Rochester's Department of Biomedical Engineering also provided unwavering support. Although a full scholarship for a master's degree at the University of Rochester is almost impossible to obtain, I am grateful that I have been fully funded for the duration of my master's degree in Biomedical Engineering. Professor Laurel H. Carney, the Marylou Ingram Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Professor of Neuroscience, Computer, and Electrical Engineering at the University of Rochester, has been a tremendous help to me. I am also grateful to Professor Whasil Lee, my research supervisor, for providing me with this great opportunity and to Madam Judith Principe for her incredible support throughout this process.

I write this to encourage anyone who has set a goal but is struggling to achieve it due to a variety of factors. encourage you to start small and with what is within your reach, no matter how big your dream is.

That goal is attainable; all you have to do is begin, work hard, and pray hard. Even if it takes a little longer, you will arrive - don't give up!

## A GREATER IMPACT

After telling several of my friends about how I demystified the application process and was accepted to the University of Rochester to pursue my master's in Biomedical Engineering on a full scholarship, they informed me that they were planning on applying as well, but for undergraduate degree programs. They requested that I coach them throughout the process because they could not afford the exorbitant consultation fees charged by most study abroad organizations.

I was in my final semester at KNUST at the time. I asked another friend of mine who had previously worked as an SAT tutor to assist me in preparing students to take the SAT. He accepted but did not request any remuneration for his services. Every Friday, we gathered for tutorials and to discuss the application process.

The numbers gradually increased, and my responsibilities grew significantly. I barely had time for my books because I was practically always analyzing essays, extracurricular activities, and anything else related to the college application process.

Because we had to meet deadlines and submit a very large number of applications, I had some sleepless nights. It was not an easy task being the only person in charge of dozens of people's applications, but I learnt a lot during that period. I was relieved when we finally submitted everyone's application but felt concerned about their admission decisions, which were due two months after the applications were submitted.

As I write this, 10 of the individuals who participated in this initiative have received full scholarships to their dream universities including Princeton, Yale, and Cornell. The sum of the scholarships these students received was $3,045,796. This number does not include the numerous people I mentored through the application process despite the fact that they were already members of other organizations. I also helped some graduate school applicants with their applications. Some of these people also got into schools like MIT, MSU etc for PhD programs.

As someone who is interested in research and technological innovation and how it can improve people's lives, I decided to establish Ckodon with Francis Gymah, a senior software engineer at Oozou. Ckodon is a software, hardware, and web development firm. We hope to research into computers, mobile devices, home appliances, medical devices, and other technologies to improve the overall human experience. CKODON will also provide employment opportunities for individuals who have the skills and expertise relevant to working in the tech industry.

Having realized how beneficial the graduate and undergraduate school application mentorship program has been to many people, and based on the number of people who have expressed interest in participating in the coming years, we have also decided to establish a foundation (CKODON FOUNDATION) within the tech start-up (CKODON). THE CKODON FOUNDATION aims to foot the SAT registration fee for highly qualified applicants, provide free undergraduate school (USA & CANADA) and VISA application mentorship, and deliver SAT tuition to students from impoverished and underrepresented backgrounds who cannot otherwise afford it. Additionally, there would be a free mentorship program to aid undergraduate students in applying for internships at top companies both home and abroad. For graduate school applicants, the foundation will offer a free mentorship program throughout the graduate school and VISA application process. It would be my pleasure that the dreams of these students will not be cut short as a result of financial constraint. I will wholeheartedly hold this door I struggled to open for others to come through. I deeply appreciate everyone who made this project possible and fruitful. God bless you all.

Every person's fate is intertwined with the fate of another, I believe. Do not harden your heart when you can be a blessing to someone. Be the game changer. The goal is not to make it alone - we have to all win, regardless. Let's all have a heart of gold: a heart that cares deeply about people. Because I made it, I will put in my best for others to get there! I'm tired of the status quo!