Worldwide scholar Prince Kessie got here to Illinois State College with some trepidation about being so removed from residence and household. He additionally got here with nice dedication to pursue a Bachelor of Artistic Applied sciences (CTK) diploma. As soon as right here, the kindness of strangers-turned-friends made all of the distinction.
Kessie, 28, grew up in Better Kumasi within the Ashanti area of Ghana. He arrived at Regular within the fall of 2022 to start his grasp's diploma. At first, he had blended emotions about shifting so far-off to an unfamiliar and smaller neighborhood, however he was targeted on taking advantage of the chance.
“I used to be like, 'You're about to see a brand new life,'” he stated. “It's not as busy as a metropolis, nevertheless it was a pleasant expertise. I made lifelong associates and was in a position to go to 12 totally different states.”
One of many issues that helped him really feel extra comfy in his new setting was taking part in soccer.
“We play soccer on Saturdays in a park throughout the summer time months,” he stated. “I met Nigerians, Congolese and the opposite Ghanaians with whom I might converse my mom tongue (Twi). This expertise helped me really feel much less alone.”
The oldest of six youngsters, Kessie is the primary in his household to go to school, the primary to obtain a bachelor's diploma, and now the primary to earn a grasp's diploma.
“I really feel like I'm opening the gate for my youthful brothers to observe,” he stated.
He began highschool with ambitions to check science and grow to be a pc main when he obtained to school, nevertheless it didn't end up the way in which he deliberate. So, he selected the visible arts and located his residence there.
“I spotted in my undergraduate years that the visible arts had extra work on the school degree,” he stated. “I might do internet design and growth, animation, videography, movement graphics, and so on. It went past the same old brush and paint stuff I used to be doing in highschool.”
“CTK school and college students are greater than a division – it's a household. They had been open minded and open hearted and everyone seems to be there for you. I by no means felt alone right here and they’re a giant a part of my success.”
Prince Kessie
He found Illinois State whereas on the lookout for graduate packages that match properly along with his bachelor's diploma in graphic design and a focus in multimedia design.
“I needed to specific myself as a multimedia man, and CTK matches my pursuits,” he stated. “Doing digital actuality and UI/UX design is what I wish to do. I used to be so blissful to seek out this system right here.”
A key particular person in his determination to grow to be a Redbird was CTK Alumni Coordinator Kristin Carlson. He was impressed from the beginning by her immediate consideration to his questions.
“She was responsive and so out there to all my issues,” he stated. “She was so good that I didn't apply to some other program. She answered each e mail and we exchanged over 200 emails earlier than I arrived. That was the extent to which he took care of me to get all of the understanding I wanted to get to ISU.”
He earned his month-to-month stipend and tuition waiver as a graduate instructing assistant (TA), instructing pc programming and a videography (internet video) class. He additionally labored on a number of civic engagement initiatives, considered one of which was instructing youth within the Bloomington-Regular neighborhood the right way to dance capoeira.
Different highlights of his time included doing video work for the Central Illinois Particular Hockey Affiliation and attending a UX design day convention on the College of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He has additionally participated in native mentoring and academic initiatives associated to video design and UX.
He’s grateful for the help of his mother and father and siblings and his Ghanaian guardians: Mr. and Mrs. Antwi Boasiako.
On campus he instantly felt welcomed and supported by professors and fellow college students.
“The CTK school and scholar physique is greater than a division — it's a household,” he stated. “They had been open-minded and open-hearted and everyone seems to be there for you. I’ve by no means felt alone right here and they’re a giant a part of my success.
“And our program director, Rose Marshack, was like a mom to me. It was so useful to me.”
He loved working as a TA for CTK Assistant Professor Annie Sungkajun in her Movement Graphics and Augmented Actuality course. And he felt particular gratitude to Aaron Paolucci, director and graduate coordinator of CTK. When Kessie didn't have the required tools for some homework, Paolucci lent her the desk.
“He gave me his entire workplace to work on my VR course as a result of I didn't have a robust sufficient pc,” Kessie stated. “He let me use his large Alienware pc.”
Kessie stated instructor Roy Magnuson's form phrases after finishing a difficult VR class is not going to be forgotten.
“It was so troublesome I didn't know what I used to be doing and he wrote me a observe about my work,” Kessie stated. “He wrote: 'I understand how onerous it's been for you and I'm so pleased with you and the way far you've come. Good job!' It was very encouraging and made me cry tears of pleasure.”
Now, as he graduates, he feels very pleased with his newest tutorial achievement.
“I'm excited to graduate and I'm pleased with myself for setting an instance for my youthful siblings so that they know we will do something,” Kessie stated. “I’m additionally proud that out of the numerous candidates I used to be chosen as among the best to be supplied the chance to check on the grasp's diploma. It's particularly essential as a result of my mother and father didn't have that type of alternative.”
Although his household can't be right here to start with, he might be surrounded by his associates from the state of Illinois, each worldwide and US. He can even have shut associates he met exterior of college there to cheer him on.
“I've met some stunning households right here who’ve made me really feel like a part of the household,” Kessie stated.
His objective after commencement is to begin a profession in UI/UX design engaged on software design and growth and cyber safety, a brand new enterprise he just lately added to his portfolio. He wish to keep within the US.
“As a world scholar with out everlasting residency, there could also be some obstacles,” he stated. “However someday, with God's grace and my abilities, I’ll quickly have the ability to get my dream job.”