Ruth Ama Gyan-Darkwa, a young mathematics genius from Ghana, has broken a record by becoming the youngest person in the country to earn a Bachelor’s degree, achieving the feat at just 17 years old.
Born in 2004, Gyan-Darkwa enrolled at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Ghana at the age of 13, pursuing a degree in Mathematics. Despite the challenges that come with the course, she graduated with Second-Class honours.
Professor Abeiku Akora-Prah, Head of Department of Mathematics of the College of Sciences at the University, said that Gyan-Darkwa’s achievement was exceptional, noting that the course was notoriously challenging and that she possesses a remarkable brain to have succeeded.
Speaking on Ruth Ama Gyan-Darkwa’s record the university public relations officer stated that Ruth has become the youngest ever student to graduate from the University and that it is a major boost for the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) initiative as well as the institutional policy to increase the male-female ratio.
Her achievements did not stop there. At the age of 18, Ruth has set foot in the United States, joining the University of New Mexico’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering for a Ph.D. program. Specializing in Electrical Engineering with a research focus on optics and lasers, she collaborates with the Center for High Technology Materials in New Mexico, showcasing her prowess in cutting-edge research. Click here to continue reading about her PhD pursuit.
Ahmed Muhammad, an 18-year old student from Oakland, California, has made history as the first Black male to graduate as valedictorian in his school, Oakland Technical High School.
Muhammad is honored with the highest academic rank in his class with a cumulative 4.73 GPA. He is also an outstanding athlete as a member of the Bulldog’s varsity basketball team.
Aside from that, Muhammad also founded a science education company called Kits Cubed last year during the pandemic. The company creates fun and affordable science kits that elementary and middle school-age kids can enjoy doing experiments with.
“Founding Kits Cubed was the culmination of all of the valuable lessons I learned throughout high school from so many amazing people,” Muhammad told KTVU. “I’m glad we were able to create something meaningful before graduating.” Read more about Ahmed here.