Faculty: Land and Food Systems
Program: Master of Public Health
Year: 2020
Country: Ghana
Andrews is a trained optometrist who graduated from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Ghana with ‘Distinction’ in Doctor of Optometry (O.D.). His mentors describe him as meticulous, well-rounded, and strongly positioned to act as a transformational leader. At KNUST, Andrews leveraged his charismatic personality to serve as Chairperson on health committees of the Optometry Students Association of Ghana, KNUST Chapter, where he mobilized colleagues to embark on numerous clinical outreach programs – which doubled as population-based studies to augment epidemiologic literature in Ghana. He was one of the brains behind a free eye-screening initiative for schools in the region to detect and manage vision problems among schoolchildren. Andrews extended his clinical practice beyond the consulting room, reaching out to communities biweekly. Passionate about population health, he received the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust grant to broaden his knowledge on community health. An erstwhile recipient of the United World College International Youth Scholarship, Andrews has sustained his zest for youth development through teaching activities and he recently started a non-profit initiative, “The Yeoman” with one of its goals geared towards helping the youth discover and achieve their potentials.
Andrews believes the Public Health graduate curriculum at UBC is rigorous and well-suited to enrich his knowledge and skills in promoting health equity in his community through sound healthcare leadership and effective Public Health research. He is excited to study and network in a beautiful, cosmopolitan academic environment like UBC. During his leisure hours, he hikes, and writes poetry, short fictions, as well as inspirational and thought-provoking quotes.