By: Amy Xiang
ACLP Future Scholars Program Lead Tutor Stacey Boakye describes her upbringing in Union, New Jersey as both very Ghanaian and very Christian. Her parents are immigrants from Ghana, and Stacey says both her culture and religion have shaped many of her experiences and values — especially how she views family, home, and morality.
Stacey first applied to Penn because she wanted to pursue business, but now, as a sophomore studying neuroscience, Stacey has found her passion to lie elsewhere.
“I'm studying to become a psychiatrist one day, and hopefully I'll be able to focus on youth in minority communities, maybe by starting a nonprofit to help the mental health of youth in these communities,” Stacey says.
Outside of school, Stacey enjoys singing and dancing, and is on a dance team called West African Vibe, where she performs West African contemporary dancing. She was also previously a member of New Spirit of Penn Gospel Choir, which, according to their website, is “a group dedicated to praising God with music and spreading the message of the Gospel throughout Penn’s campus and the surrounding communities.”
Stacey was drawn to the position of lead tutor primarily because of her love of working with children and serving as a role model.
“I am the oldest of three children, so I've always grown up kind of guiding them. I've always been around children and I work a lot with youth in my church. I also used to volunteer at the library where I worked at the children's center, and I did tutoring when I was in high school,” Stacey says. “I believe that the position of lead tutor just fits perfectly with what I like to do: work closely with students and advise them.”
With the school year just beginning, Stacey says that she is looking forward to getting to know the students more, hearing their stories, and helping them in whatever way she can. And to these Future Scholars, Stacey shares some words of inspiration that her mom told her growing up: education is something that nobody can take away from you.
“When you have your education, that's something that you have with you. That's the knowledge you have in your head. There's nothing that anybody can do to take away that knowledge from you, and I believe that education is really important for that specific reason,” Stacey says.
AMY XIANG is the writer for African Community Learning Program and a sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania, where she also writes for The Daily Pennsylvanian and 34th Street Magazine. To support African Community Learning Program’s work, please email info@weareaclp.org.