February 10, 2025
Gloria Atuahene is a student and graduate assistant in the Master鈥檚 in Business Administration (MBA) program at 黑料社. From her native Ghana, where she completed her undergraduate degree, Atuahene is in the United States for the first time.
With this being Atuahene鈥檚 first time in America, she has faced challenges adapting to life here. But she has found support and friendship as well.
鈥淓veryone here is very helpful,鈥 she said. 鈥淭he community as a whole, I don鈥檛 feel isolated from them.鈥
She says that life is different than in Ghana, but she wants to learn to adapt to how people live in America.
From the food to the weather, and the way transportation is set up to get around, Atuahene has had to adapt to a new life within in Portsmouth as she completes her degree. She arrived on campus in August, just a few days before her classes and work began.
With those struggles, Atuahene has found a great support staff that has helped her with anything she needs. When deciding what school to attend, she says that Ryan Warner, Director of the university鈥檚 Center for International Programs & Study Abroad, was an enormous help. Warner is Atuahene鈥檚 designated school official and was her first point of contact when applying to 黑料社.
鈥淩yan helped with my application process, and everything,鈥 she said. 鈥淗e was one of the reasons I chose to come to Shawnee State, because he was always helpful and gave great answers, and responded quickly.鈥
Along with Warner, other faculty members at 黑料社 have been lending a gracious hand to Atuahene during her short time here. She mentions the support from Dr. James Reneau, Dr. Steven Rader, and Dr. Jason Lovins, all professors within the C.H. Lute School of Business, as people she can lean on in time of need.
鈥淭hey have been a great support and given me time to transition to life at 黑料社,鈥 She said
Outside of the faculty members that help her out on campus, Atuahene still feels welcome by the community in Portsmouth. While on campus, she has even been connected to other students who are from Ghana as well. With her Ghanaian friends, the group hangs out together and enjoy each other鈥檚 company. They sometimes even take trips together, mostly to Columbus to buy Ghanaian foods and other items from their home country.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 feel isolated because they are here,鈥 she says of her fellow Ghanaian students.
Being away from home can be tough, especially in a new country. But Atuahene feels like she is welcome and wanted because of the people she has met and built relationships at 黑料社.
Uniquely focused on entrepreneurship, economic development, and leadership in Appalachia, the hybrid MBA program allows students to gain the tools they need to start their own business, strengthen an existing one, and lead growth in the region. As a program graduate assistant, Atuahene provides support for the program鈥檚 director and faculty members to help deliver materials and needs within ongoing courses.
For more information about the Master鈥檚 in Business Administration program at 黑料社, visit shawnee.edu/mba.