At the College of Health Sciences, Nereus Mensah Gyasi has emerged as Valedictorian, graduating from the Department of Disability and Rehabilitation Studies with a Cumulative Weighted Average (CWA) of 80.50.

Nereus’ academic journey was shaped by a deeply personal story. Both of his parents live with disabilities.

His father lost his sight, and his mother suffered a stroke that left her paralysed. He chose Disability and Rehabilitation Studies to better understand their lived realities.

“When I completed senior high school, both of my parents were disabled. My dad is blind and my mum had a stroke, so she was paralysed. I just wanted a programme that would make me understand them. I wanted to appreciate the concept of disability, and I’m happy I chose it,” he said.

What began as a search for meaning soon became a calling. Beyond academic knowledge, he discovered a purpose to serve, to advocate and to support others in similar circumstances.

Balancing university life with caregiving responsibilities, however, came at a cost.

“My biggest challenge was balancing taking care of my parents and my studies. Even though I am not the only child, I still had to move to the hospital while class was ongoing, seek permission and go. The next challenge was financial. But here I am.”

His experience opened his eyes to a largely overlooked dimension of disability care: mental health.

He witnessed firsthand how caregivers sometimes failed to recognise the psychological effects of disability.

“I realised this gap when it comes to rehabilitation, that is, the mental health of persons with disability. My parents complained that many things had changed about them, but the health professionals didn’t really understand that it was a mental health challenge. So currently, I am a mental health advocate.”

Despite his heavy responsibilities, Nereus continued to serve others. In his final year alone, he held nine leadership positions on campus, an achievement he still struggles to explain.

“I don’t know how I balanced it because I was holding nine offices. What helped me was knowing myself. I knew that I could learn in class, so I used to ask between five and ten questions. I also liked group studies and asking questions from people who had gone ahead of me.”

He believes success is built not only on hard work but also on faith, discipline and empathy. He summarises his philosophy in a formula that guided him throughout his studies.

“Do whatever you can. Do the learning and the exploring, and God will do the rest. To simplify it, DP + HE = S. That is, Divine Power plus Human Effort equals Success.”

Filed by: Abena Serwaa Gyamfi (URO)