One week before classes began, Mary Quansah was preparing for the possibility she might not make it to Brock University in time.
Now, the Master of Business Economics student from Ghana is settling into her graduate program with renewed focus thanks in part to receiving a Horizon Graduate Student Scholarship from the University. Presented annually to 20 students, the $5,000 award recognizes exceptional graduate researchers from underrepresented and marginalized groups.
For Quansah, the Horizon Scholarship is more than financial support; it represents possibility.
"It allowed me to come here. It allowed me to study without worrying every day," she says. "And it made me feel seen. Everything I've been through, everything my family has overcome; it led me here."
Raised in Ghana, Quansah grew up during a time when high school was not free. After the unfortunate death of her father, her mother became the sole provider for six children. Without electricity in their home, Quansah often studied by candlelight or under the glow of nearby closed shops that still had their lights on.
"My mom did everything she could for us," she says. "I always felt like I needed to reward that sacrifice. Education was my way to do that, my way to make sure her efforts weren't wasted."
Despite obstacles, Quansah excelled academically, becoming the first in her extended family to attend university. She completed her undergraduate degree in Economics at the University of Ghana, discovering the field reflected the reality she grew up in.
"My life has always been economics," she says. "Managing scarce resources, making choices, finding ways to make something small stretch it was all around me. So when I took my first economics class in high school, it just made sense."
However, applying to graduate studies as an international student meant navigating financial uncertainty and logistical hurdles.
While she'd already started the process of applying for a visa to attend another university, receiving an offer from Brock her top choice out of the eight schools she applied to prompted her to change course.
When the Horizon Scholarship notification landed in her inbox, she didn't see it right away. Ten days later, while checking emails, she discovered she had been selected.
"It gave me new hope," she says. "I realized that maybe everything was going to fall into place."
Within the same week, her delayed visa was approved. When she arrived, she connected with Student Accounts and Financial Aid and learned that the Horizon Scholarship covered her outstanding tuition.
"I couldn't believe it," she says. "It meant I didn't have to work right away or worry about how I would pay back a loan. It gave me space to breathe and focus on my education."
Beyond academics, Quansah has volunteered extensively with non-profit organizations, supporting children facing financial instability, food insecurity or a lack of parental support. For these children, she says school is often a haven.
"They need someone who is there for them emotionally, someone they can go to when they're struggling," she says. "Giving them that sense of belonging means a lot."
Her research interests echo her passion. Her current focus is on shifting gender enrolment in Ghanaian high schools, where recent reports show more girls than boys enrolled. She eventually hopes to pursue a PhD in access to education and inequality in marginalized communities.
"I want to understand what's happening beyond the numbers," she says. "Are students actually benefiting? What does performance look like now? And how can policy help those who are still being left behind?"
As she continues her graduate studies, Quansah hopes her story inspires students who may feel discouraged by their circumstances.
"If you know what you want, go for it," she says. "It won't be easy, but resilience and determination matter. The path is hard, but it's possible."
The 2025 Horizon Graduate Student Scholarship recipients are:
- Josemyrne Ashley Faure, MA in Applied Health Science (Community Health)
- Aws Al Jumaily, PhD in Intelligent Systems and Data Science
- Aayushi Gandhi, PhD in Child and Youth
- Aliya Aragon, MA in Applied Health Science (Community Health)
- Rawan El Haj, PhD in Child and Youth
- Sangmitra Madhusudan, MSc in Computer Science
- Victoria Udechukwu, MSc in Computer Science
- Asude Sumeyye Ayvaci, PhD in Applied Behaviour Analysis
- Mary Quansah, Master of Business Economics
- Andrew Sheehan, PhD in Psychology
- Chibuzor Ozioma Ngini, MA in Political Science
- Samantha Damile, MA in Applied Health Science (Nursing)
- Wenting Rong, PhD in Education
- Julia Miller, MA in Classics
- Chinyere Saka, PhD in Education
- Nabiha Ghafoor, MA in Political Science
- Han Xiang (Kevin) Yu, PhD in Applied Behaviour Analysis
- Lucas Rotondo, MA in Sport Management
- Michelle Juffe, MA in Psychology
