This shouldn’t be long.
I made a recent LinkedIn post outlining how so many people had been pivotal in shaping me these last four years. And while I named so many people, I indicated that I could not list all the friends who had helped along the way because that would frankly be unfeasible.
At the same time, I will be doing a disservice to myself if I do not give props to these two guys. You know how everyone has a three-member group chat with a weird name? This is mine.
Selom
I met Selom for the first time in 2021. About two years later, we found out about some mutual link between our families. But we were already friends before we discovered it. It's one of those things that makes you know that it was a divine orchestration. He made freshman and sophomore years more bearable.
From the very first Computer Programming for CS assignment, which we spent virtually the entire day on campus working on, we knew we had each other’s backs. The “strategy” we developed that helped us breeze through Discrete Maths is one for the ages. Having to grind through Statistics assignments earlier than others usually would because we foresaw the responsibilities that lay ahead (IYKYK). And we complemented and supported each other well: Selom held the fort with the heavy, math-inclined courses (he should have taken Calculus), and I took over with the programming ones. Whatever the case, we found a way to make it work.
But even more important is the fact that Selom has a whatever-is-mine-is-yours attitude. I drove that car more times than I probably should have. He claims he taught me how to drive. I don’t fully agree. But I am willing to meet him halfway and say that he certainly helped me build experience. And whenever I needed to borrow it, he never hesitated to give me the keys.
When I became an executive for the campus Christian fellowship, Selom was basically a package deal. I put him in the loop as much as I could, and he supported me with my role as much as he could. You name it: carrying furniture, going to Kwabenya to purchase items, the list goes on. And if he was willing to give me his car, you can only imagine what else he willingly let me have when I needed it.
And by the fourth year, we became roommates. He knew virtually everything about me. Even the one thing I decided to keep from him for the longest time. Sadly for me, he was way ahead of the curve - two years ahead, in fact. I just consistently denied it until there was no point anymore. He also knows I hate green pepper, so whenever he ordered food in my absence, I was rest assured that he asked for the superior alternative for me. Finally, it’s safe to say that Selom put me on one of my favorite musicians currently.
There’s something about having someone who knows you well in your corner. They can make life extremely easy for you.
Chudah
Chudah was in most of my classes in my very first semester of Ashesi, and that is when I knew that I had to get close to him. He and two others. I have already told one and should probably tell the other ASAP.
I really don’t remember how we ended up becoming friends, but I know it is around the time I used to laugh at him for always being on the bench during school football games (I will never let this go). Even though there are technically no rankings/positions in university, I believe people still get unnecessarily competitive. Especially people who may take the same classes. Chudah, in my experience, was an exception to this rule. And so when application season hit, we could easily form an alliance to help each other out.
Interestingly, we had the exact same classes that semester. This meant that I sat beside him during Intermediate Computer Programming classes, where we both typed essay after essay for company after company or looked at the next Leetcode Question, where we would only pass 1/3 of the test cases (Sorry, Dr. Ebo). This meant that on days that we were fasting at church, we would walk out during the early minutes of our Global Black Experience class for a quick snack to break and then come back to fight sleep for the rest of the class. Having someone to do this with made it all the more bearable.
But even more impressive is one of the good deeds he did that I remember to date. I had gotten an interview for one of the companies we applied for, but I had not had the time to prepare because of exams. To make things worse, we had been given an unexpected additional task for one of our course projects. Fortunately for me, Chudah and I were working together on that final project. And it had not been easy. To date, the word pointers still haunts us both. And while we had finally gotten our code to work, we still had that final additional task to do.
Here was I, however, exhausted from the weight of the semester, with an interview the next day that I was not very prepared for, at least to me. I also had to embark on a 3-hour journey home at night, get a good rest, and then face the interview first thing the next day.
Seeing this, Chudah selflessly offered to handle the final task so I could focus on preparing for the interview. Thanks to his gesture, I passed the interview and got the offer. While others saw my success, they didn’t see Chudah’s sacrifice, which made it possible.
Again, when I was selected as the GDSC Lead on campus, I was thrilled but worried because I had no team. The first person I thought of was Chudah. When I called and asked for his help, he immediately agreed and helped me set up the core team. He became my go-to for anything GDSC-related. During my biggest event, he supported me from the night before—purchasing food, arriving early, hosting guests, and staying until the end. While everyone saw a successful event, Chudah’s behind-the-scenes support was invaluable.
These are not the only two who have helped me. But I did this to show that everyone needs a village to raise them. You may probably be able to do it on your own, but it’s easier and more fun with others beside and behind you.