Student Spotlight: Andrews Nyantakyi

I want to become a nurse because of the Navy. I joined the Navy with a computer science background but the only job available at that time was for me to become a Hospital Corpsman. Over the eight years I spent in the Navy, I had the opportunity to be trained by some outstanding Navy nurses, and I wanted to build on the skills and knowledge gained through those experiences.

I chose GW because of my best friend. She and I served in the Navy and she graduated from GW School of Nursing. When I told her I wanted to get into nursing, she told me I had no choice but to come to GW...so here I am. Thanks, Roselyn Oyeleye!

As a nursing student, the challenging part was how to manage the vigorous demand of this accelerated program, my family (I have three young children ages 2, 3 and 5), and the other projects I have ongoing in Africa. I overcame those challenges with the help of my family. My wife took a lot of my burdens and I learned to delegate. One important thing, though, is that I found a study partner. You cannot go through this program without a study partner. My study partner has been so helpful in keeping me on my toes so I can meet all the deadlines.

I have always known nursing as a noble profession, but my admiration for the profession has grown because of the role we have been playing in the fight against COVID-19. I look at nurses from here in the United States, and abroad. I have seen firsthand where nurses with limited resources sacrificed their own safety to save their patients. I am glad I get to be part of such a respected group.

My advice for future nurses, especially those coming to GW, is to know that they’ve made a good choice and be proud of their decision to become nurses. The program is vigorous, but with determination and dedication, they will be successful.na aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud

The GW New Venture Competition is open to GW students starting new ventures or involved in initiatives that promote the wellbeing of others. I participated to showcase the work I do in Africa. I have learned a lot from the resources the competition offers. We have mentors who are subject matter experts in the areas related to our venture and the information they provided is helping me restructure my work in Africa. We made the semifinals and I hope to be among the winners.

Elijeko Foundation is a charitable organization based in Ghana, West Africa that focuses on providing support on three critical areas of health, including health education, patient safety, and free access to medical care. Our goal is to promote prevention and education for disease-free communities. We host several Ghana radio talk shows and use social media to educate a broader audience on relevant health topics and answer listener questions. We convert shipping containers into kiosk clinics to provide care to those in rural areas, thereby bridging the gap to allow access to care for those who lack it. We have had an outstanding impact:

• More than 60,000 people have received health care through four currently established kiosks
• Elijeko has conducted two large community outreach programs, including five medical screening events
• Elijeko has partnered with six educational institutions in Ghana to provide teachers and student body health education and training
• We expanded our radio programming in 10 of the 15 regions in Ghana and increased our listenership