Each November, Marquette University joins campuses across the United States in celebrating International Education Week, a national initiative highlighting the impact of global learning and cultural exchange. As part of this year’s IEW, held Nov. 17-21, the Graduate School is spotlighting international students whose stories enrich the campus community. Among them is Benedicta Afari, a first-year graduate student whose path from Ghana to Milwaukee reflects the curiosity and openness that IEW encourages.
Afari grew up in a uniquely mobile childhood shaped by her father’s work in the Ghana Prison Service. His job required frequent relocations, leading her to live in towns across four different regions of Ghana, including Sunyani, Obuasi, Accra and Winneba. Although she experienced communities of varying sizes, Accra, Ghana’s bustling capital, is where she spent most of her childhood.
“Accra is super bright and colorful,” Afari says. “It has all these new, glassy buildings mixed with old, vibrant neighborhoods and street markets everywhere. Driving toward the coast, you see lots of palm trees and feel that ocean breeze. It’s busy, warm and always exciting.”
She grew up with her parents and three siblings, spending afternoons playing games like Ampe, ludu and Oware with neighborhood friends. Weekends meant visiting cousins, sharing meals and attending cultural festivals filled with drumming, dancing and color, moments she remembers as some of the most joyful parts of her childhood. At home, evenings were often spent watching Ghanaian TV shows together.
Food also plays an important role in Afari’s memories. Her two favorite homemade dishes are Ghanaian staples: Jollof rice with chicken and Banku served with sauce and grilled tilapia. Since arriving in the U.S., she hasn’t tried many new foods yet, but she admits she’s already become a fan of chicken Alfredo.
School, she says, was a supportive and motivating environment. Her teachers encouraged her, and her father made sure she had every resource she needed to excel academically. That support led her to the University of Cape Coast, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Education, majoring in religion and human values and minoring in history.
When she decided to pursue graduate studies abroad, Afari discovered Marquette through her own research. She is now enrolled in the Student Affairs in Higher Education (SAHE) master’s program, preparing for a future working with college students.
Finding a sense of community on campus came through the spaces where she feels most at ease, especially the Lemonis Center for Student Success. “I like to book a study room there,” she says. “It’s my favorite place on campus because it’s always so calm and relaxing.”
As Marquette celebrates International Education Week, Afari’s story offers a glimpse into the experiences that international students bring to campus — stories of travel, family, culture and resilience that broaden the university’s understanding of the world.
“I think these experiences shape who we are,” she says, “and sharing them helps us appreciate one another even more.”
