Digging Deeper with Mornah Dekuwmini

Mornah in his hometown of Ghana.

Many might think that making the move from West Africa to the United States might be a difficult adjustment, however, that was not the case with the 18-year-old Ghana native.

Mornah Dekuwmini grew up in the populous capital of Accra, Ghana. Born and raised in Accra, Dekuwmini was well accustomed to big city life. In high school, Dekuwmini knew that he wanted to move to the United States. Dekuwmini came to Ole Miss through the International Student Exchange Program, funded both by the US government and the University of Ghana.

“Coming to Mississippi wasn’t that big of an adjustment for me. When I got here (to Oxford), there were so many exchange students that I bonded so well with, we were oblivious to what was happening around us,” said Dekuwmini. “The culture in Mississippi is similar to Ghana, how respectful and hospitable the people are made me feel right at home.”

After earning a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Accounting, Dekuwmini decided to continue his education and go to three more years of school to earn his PhD in Economics and Law. As part of his PhD program, Dekuwmini was required to teach economics classes, both microeconomics and macroeconomics.

Not only is Dekuwmini a professor to many students, he is a friend.

“I would usually dread going to a class like economics, but Mornah made it fun and interesting. He would integrate the concepts with aspects from our everyday life, making it easier to comprehend,” said senior Lauren Fitzpatrick. “Mornah is always so happy and never makes any of his students feel ashamed for grades they made, only encourages them to come in and discuss how to improve on the next exam or homework assignment.”

He goes out of his way to get to know you and help you succeed not only in his class, but also with any class you take.

“Knowing that I am making in impact in someone’s life is a great feeling. It’s so rewarding to see students earning great grades, that gives me a sense of accomplishment,” said Dekuwmini.

Having dealt with hundreds of students over his years of teaching, Dekuwmini doesn’t seem to find much about teaching he dislikes.

“I don’t really have many complaints about teaching, except that I hate grading,” said Dekuwmini. “It’s hard when students come to me at the end of the semester asking why they are doing so poorly in the class, with excuses as to why they have been missing homework assignments, classes, etc.. I feel bad for them, but it is their own fault and could have been avoided.”

Dealing with hundreds of personalities of the students is never easy, but Dekuwmini makes every student feel intelligent and accomplished.