Shining ever brighter from nothing to something

Born into a family of seven children to two semi-literate parents, life was not perpetually smooth, but somewhat cushioned by the perks and safety net of her father's employment in a multinational mining conglomerate. at age 14, her world was thrown into a free-falling spiral arising from the voluntary retrenchment taken by her father, throwing the family of 9 into an unforeseen instability and untold hardships over the next decade. with an unremitting desire for education and a deep faith in god instilled in them by their mother, asantewaa and her six siblings fought to stay in school, find a suitable place to lay their head at night and food to put on the table. this is the story of asantewaa's journey from a life of poverty and need in accra, ghana all the way to the miracle of a scholarship to pursue a phd in canada and her current position at michigan state university. this is a story of hardship and persistence, of hunger and kindness, of disappointments and triumph, and an unending trust in god. dr. christiana asantewaa okyere-folson is currently a hegarty postdoctoral research fellow at michigan state university and a queen elizabeth diamond jubilee scholar. she is also a mandela washington fellow, awarded by the us government for her contribution to improving quality of life of vulnerable populations in african contexts. dr. okyere-folson is an ardent believer who uses her walk with god and life experiences to counsel and empower people to take courageous steps towards achieving their god-given mandate. she co-hosts a youtube channel (the folsons tube) with her beloved husband kweku gumye folson that focuses on topics including faith, education/career, and relationships.