Connections and networks are both amazing and humbling. Carl, a parent I met on Mark’s first day of school at Roman Ridge, sent my contact information to his friend Alex. I didn’t know it at the time, but Alex is the Vice President of the Ghana Institution of Engineers (GhIE), the Ghanaian professional engineering society similar to ASME, ASCE, or IEEE. Two of Alex's children are Calvin College graduates. Alex and his family heard about Calvin from Kwame Bediako, former rector of the Akrofi-Christaller Institute in Akropong, the host institution for Tracy and her interim students.
These connections led to a noon meeting between me and the executive leadership of the GhIE at their headquarters, one block away from Roman Ridge School. The discussion was stimulating and beneficial to me, and I trust to them as well. The meeting may lead to an invitation to participate in the upcoming GhIE annual conference in some capacity.
Mid-morning, I visited the International Student Hostel (where the Calvin semester students will stay), only to find that the Memorandum of Understanding between Calvin and the University of Ghana has not reached the hostel. Questions ensued about how many students, how long they’ll stay, and who will pay. Tracy made calls in the afternoon to start the process of sorting it out. Not a moment to soon, for the students arrive (and we get Tracy back) four days hence on Sunday 24 January.
Mark had significant homework tonight, and Catherine enjoyed her Wednesday swimming lessons again.
—Matt
