Visually impaired student named valedictorian at University of Ghana

 Mr Ephraim Ayeh Orac­ca-Tetteh, a visually impaired student, has achieved a perfect 4.0 Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA), earning the presti­gious title of valedictorian for the University of Ghana’s 2025 graduating class.

Mr Oracca-Tetteh was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, Classics and Philosophy.

His remarkable accomplishment was celebrated at the College of Human­ities congregation held at the Univer­sity’s Great Hall.

Mr Oracca-Tetteh’s journey to aca­demic excellence began at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in 2017 but was interrupt­ed when his eyesight began to deteri­orate.

Despite this challenge, he perse­vered and was transferred to the Uni­versity of Ghana, where he thrived.

Beyond his academic achievements, Mr Oracca-Tetteh demonstrated lead­ership skills, serving as the organiser and Public Relations Officer for the association of students with special needs.

He also actively advocated inclusiv­ity and accessibility of students with disability within the University.

In his valedictorian speech, Mr Orac­ca-Tetteh acknowledged the difficul­ties faced by the graduating class of 2024, including the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the shift to modular learning, and personal hardships.

He emphasised the resilience of his classmates and the crucial role of the university’s support systems in their success.

Mr Oracca-Tetteh highlighted the transformative power of assistive technology in bridging accessibility gaps for students with special needs and shared his personal experience of how technology enabled him to fully engage with course materials and communicate effectively with lectur­ers.

Mr Oracca-Tetteh praised the Uni­versity of Ghana’s commitment to in­clusivity and its embrace of innovation and technology to support students with diverse needs.

Mr Kwame Agyepong Oppong, the Guest Speaker and Head of Fintech and Innovation, Bank of Ghana, tasked the graduands to remain committed to serving the country through their respective career choices.

“Let the course of Ghana and Africa be seared in your minds and be en­graved on your hearts until you draw your last breath. From these lessons, I hope you are more assured that it does work out in the end,” he said.

The University of Ghana’s gradua­tion ceremony, spanning seven days, will see a total of 18,780 students re­ceive their degrees across 18 sessions.

The graduating class comprises 123 PhDs, 3,444 masters’ degrees, 11,067 undergraduate degrees, and 1,116 diplomas. —GNA