West African student receives funding for final residency at Union Institute

Edward Fiawoo, a West African attorney and Brigadier General in the Ghana Armed Forces, will begin his final required residency this week at Union Institute & University prior to completing his Ph.D. in Public Policy and Social Change. As an international student, Fiawoo is ineligible for federal financial aid and was unsure of how he was going to raise the $2,500 expense for his flight this year.
 
“Each January and July, about 100 or more doctoral candidates come together to participate in very valuable face-to-face time with their faculty and fellow students," says Carolyn Krause, UI&U’s Vice President for Advancement. “Edward had attended all his required residencies for the past two years, borrowing from friends and relatives and scrimping and saving.”
 
This time around, however, the financial burden was going to be too much for Fiawoo to bear. When UI&U’s International Alumni Association heard the news, they joined together to produce the needed funds.
 
“This is not something Edward or his faculty wanted to miss,” Krause says. “It is a testament to both Edward’s success as a doctoral student and the passion and loyalty that our Union alumni feel. Union is all about service and social responsibility, and this exchange brought our mission to life.”
 
For Fiawoo, the assistance makes all the difference.
 
“It is normally a tall order for me,” he says. “That is why I am most grateful to the alumni association.” 

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