As a first-generation student, Ghana native Vera Abankwa has navigated many obstacles in her journey toward becoming a language acquisition specialist.
A multilinguist fluent in English, Spanish and Twi, a dialect of the Akan language spoken in West Africa, she aspires to help others understand their own accents as they acquire new languages and learn them efficiently.
“After growing up in Ghana for eight years, I had to learn a lot of English when I came to America. But I didn’t have an accent after I learned English, and I wanted to figure out why,” said Abankwa, who moved to Alexandria, Virginia, in the fourth grade. “Then, many of my neighborhood friends spoke Spanish, and I wanted to speak what they were speaking.”
Abankwa expresses herself in many ways – through language, dance and faith. For her, just one college major wasn’t enough. She knew she needed a different path to be true to her goals.
That’s when she discovered interdisciplinary studies, a major in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences that blends many different disciplines, giving students the flexibility to create their own majors by forging connections among all their interests.
“I don't have to go the traditional way. This experience allowed me to realize that I'm not a traditional student. I'm not going to study one major to pursue one career,” Abankwa said. “I'm creating my own way as I go through it, and IDS and WVU do a really good job of having resources and the people there to help me.”
In Abankwa’s case, this includes specializations in communication sciences and disorders, human services, Spanish and dance.
“I combined all the things that I enjoy. If I were to take the traditional path and struggle, that negative experience might have shaped how I practice speech therapy, and it might not be the right way or my motives may not have been right,” she said. “I don't want to be in a career just for the money; I want to pursue a career because I'm passionate about it.”
When the pandemic hit, Abankwa faced yet other another obstacle – paying for college. With her father unemployed and her mother facing the stresses of working as a nurse and risking exposure to the novel coronavirus, her family relied on her to not only finance her education but help support her four younger siblings.
“I don't want to be in a career just for the money; I want to pursue a career because I'm passionate about it.”
— Vera Abankwa
“COVID-19 has affected us in a lot of ways – financially, emotionally and even physically,” she said. “Some of my family members are at risk because of having to go to work. There’s different scars that are being made – some are temporary, some are permanent.”
After moving back home to Virginia in March 2020 when WVU temporary closed the Morgantown campus due to the pandemic, Abankwa returned to her part-time job at a local office supply store. She only clocked out to attend her synchronous classes in the store’s break room.
That work ethic, coupled with support from WVU’s Gray Student Emergency Fund, helped Abankwa and her family make ends meet.
“I just want to thank everyone so much for giving into this fund. For those who haven’t, I encourage you to because it’s sometimes harder for college students to ask for help,” she said. “But when we do receive the help that other people see that we need, it really does help us, and it makes the scars that we have heal faster. You’re not only supporting me, you’re supporting my family.”
As the pandemic persists, Abankwa continues to rely on her faith, family and the relationships she has made around campus to find encouragement.
“As a freshman, I felt very alone. Early on, I didn't know how to look for resources, but there have always been people looking out for me. I am so thankful for the people I’ve met since then, like my adviser, Renée Nicholson, and my weekly Bible study groups,” she said. “That fellowship and direction keep me going, especially now because of the isolation. It has built my faith and my hope. I'm able to face way more challenges now.”
“You don't have to go down the traditional path... It may seem risky because it's not the path that people usually take, and it's also sometimes hard to even explain. But, don’t allow fear or standards to hold you back.”
— Vera Abankwa
Abankwa has found confidence in forging her own career path and hopes other students can too.
“You don't have to go down the traditional path – you shouldn't put that pressure on yourself. It may seem risky because it's not the path that people usually take, and it's also sometimes hard to even explain. But, don’t allow fear or standards to hold you back,” she said. “Pursue something you really enjoy and will be passionate about in the future. There are opportunities out there. You just have to go for it!”
Make a difference for other students like Vera by supporting the We Are Stronger Together Scholarship Fund.