Eliasu Yahaya Bansi, a BSc. Real Estate student, emerged as the best-graduating student at the 58th congregation of the KNUST College of Arts and Built Environment, with a Cumulative Weighted Average of 81.04.

As the first in his family to attend university, it wasn’t easy for Eliasu to navigate the often erratic living conditions in the tertiary environment. Back home in Bawku, there was virtually no one to serenade for financial aid.

“I struggled through thick and thin to get here,” he said.

During vacations, Eliasu, an alumnus of Bawku Senior High School would travel to the Western Region to engage in illegal mining, or galamsey, to earn money for his school fees and living expenses.

Unfortunately, on one of those trips, Eliasu lost a close friend, an event that deeply impacted him and caused him to develop a strong aversion to illegal mining.

“With sadness, I remember my friend Abubakar, who lost his life while running with me to escape. May his soul rest in peace. In fact, I hate galamsey, but had it not been for that, I wouldn’t have been here today,” he said.

After the tragic experience, Eliasu couldn’t bring himself to return to the mining sites, and his siblings strongly discouraged him from doing so. That’s when his lecturers and friends stepped in to help.

“I remember in my second year, when the university ordered students to pay up to 70% of their school fees or risk being barred from writing exams, I had to run to Zinzi, who sympathized with me and paid the fees. Thanks also to Andras Benewaa and Vicentia Gyamfi, who supported me in paying my school fees during that year.

“I also want to thank Mr. Gilbert Langu, our College Counsellor, for supporting me every semester with food supplies through the KNUST Food Bank,” he recounted.

In his valedictory speech, Eliasu called on university authorities to “look out for people of my sort and extend help to them.”

The College of Arts and Built Environment graduated a total of 2003 students, comprising 1237 males and 766 females.