Today was my last full day in Accra, and I had the pleasure of returning to L & A Academy.  This fine school has been sharing letters with an impressive school in the U.S.: North Marion Elementary and Middle Schools.  The students in Ghana were on holiday, but the proprietress, headmaster,  Kankam (who has spearheaded the project at L & A), and about fifteen students came in to spend time with me, which I am very grateful for.

Whenever I speak to Ghanaian students, I try to take the U.S. down at least a few inches from the pedestal on which it is placed.  Many of the students here are under the impression that everyone in the U.S. is wealthy and educated.  So I point out that we have hungry people and homeless people and a lot of people in prison and a LOT of students who wish that they were not in school.  For Ghanaian students, school is a break from work, and it's their best chance to have a better life than their parents were able to have.  They are, therefore, serious about their studies.  So I told them that they have already figured out the key to success in life (being devoted to your work and to your family and friends).  And I thanked them for inspiring me to expect more of myself and of my students.