Name: Nana Serwah Amponsah
Class year: 2016
Major: Economics and Mathematics
Hometown: Kumasi, Ghana
What are your postgraduate plans?
I am going to do an internship at First Baptist Church in Amherst. I will be helping college students grow in their faith. I will be helping with bible study, retreats, and other events. I would like to share our faith with other students in the five college area.
What is one thing you took away from being a MHC student?
Don’t be afraid to stand for what you believe in. Something I personally learned that was not directly instilled at Mount Holyoke is not being afraid to be the odd one out. That is something you’re not really taught. I think Mount Holyoke sometimes underlines the messages of going with the flow. But through my interactions, I have learned not to be afraid of standing out, even if people do not agree.
How do you think MHC has shaped you as a women?
Mount Holyoke has taught me to be more fearless. Am sure I still have fears, but I still try new things despite my fears. I have learned to go against whatever feelings I have and be able to work hard and be able to overcome whatever the fear is. To work hard in general. Both academically and socially, I have learned the value of working hard and that hard work does pay off.
Where is the best place to study on campus?
For me it changes from year to year. In my first year, it was the library then it became Ciruti. Now it’s my room at my desk. Once you get past the idea that you do not need to be in the library to study, you find new places on campus.
What is one piece of advice you would give to a first-year ?
It is not necessary to make compromises just to fit in. Once people decide to stand on their own and not behave in a particular way just to make friends, friends will come. But when pretending to be something else you lose friends. So stay strong. It will get better and if it doesn’t, you will learn to love yourself more instead of just giving in. I do see it happening a lot with new students.
Throughout your 4 years at MHC, there have been some good times and bad, what kept you going through the hard times?
The realization that everything has an end. If I am struggling, I understand that everything will end in a month or two. Another thing has been my faith. It is comforting to know that even if I mess up on my own, I can pray about it and talk to God about it. Even when I know I have to face the consequences of my actions, there is more peace about it than before. Sometimes it’s the fear of what you will face. But just praying about it and asking God for grace encourages me and gives me more faith. It enables me to go through the tough times.
What is your favorite quote and why?
“We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons.”
– Jim Rohn
It is the simplicity of the quote that I really like. Sometimes you have to get things done, but you do not want to do it. You would like to do something else. But at the end, you will regret your actions. There are two options: either you go through the pain of discipline or you go through the pain of regret. At every point of your life, you have to make a choice of which one you would rather go through, even if its unconscious. It’s better to go through the pain of discipline rather than waste more time.
What is one class and/or professor you recommend?
A professor I would recommend is Jim Hartley from the Economics department. He is fun and lively. He makes the class really lively and engaging. His exams are difficult, but he is great. A class I recommend is Jerusalem. I took it my first year, though I am not sure if it is still offered. I like learning about religion. It talked about Islam, Christianity, and Judaism and their effect on Jerusalem and the way they interact with each other. The professor I took it with was from Smith and went to Jerusalem so it was nice to experience that.
What will you miss most about MHC?
I will miss the stress, even though it’s weird. But it’s always nice to have something to do. When you are in college, it is “fun stress” in that you don’t have worry about paying bills. In college, you know that in a couple of months it will be over. But with work, if I do not like it, I have to find myself a new job and probably move. It is really intense. I like the fulfillment it brings when you know you had a tough semester, but you were able to make it through. I will also miss the people at MHC. The staff, the students from all over the world, and the life long friends I have made. I work in different departments on campus, so I have close bonds with a lot of the staff members and it has been very rewarding relationships. Where else can you go and almost everyone is nice?
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