Nkuah Asare, Essex County College’s newly elected Alumni Association President, is quick to point out how his classes at ECC prepared him for when he transferred to NJIT. “I quickly realized, especially in math class, how my time at Essex made my adjustment to a four year university that much easier,” said Nkuah. He graduated from Essex in 2015 with an Associate degree in Environmental Science.
Now a Geotechnical Engineer at Frank H. Lehr Associates, in East Orange, the Newark resident figures he is in a good position to give back to his first collegiate alma mater. Nkuah earned a Civil Engineering degree from NJIT and this Fall will pursue a Master’s degree there in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Geotechnical Engineering.
Although his two year term has just started, Nkuah is already formulating an Alumni Association agenda with other members of the Executive Board.
“It’s important that we showcase the College to prospective students as an affordable option. Students take the same courses in their first two years of college and they can save money by starting at Essex. Then they can transfer to a four-year school with junior status,” he said.
“My plan is for everyone who ran for a seat on the Executive Board to bring many other alums into the Association. That will increase our membership exponentially. I would also like everyone who voted in the election to become active and then we can go from there. We are a team,” he stated.
Upcoming Alumni Association meetings will be on Zoom and eventually in person. The next meeting is scheduled for August 19. “We should also have a platform to provide graduates information on the importance of giving back. “If one day, which I don’t want to happen, Essex County College is no longer functioning, our degrees will not look as good as they do now. Support your alma mater and your degree is that much more valuable,” said Nkuah.
For now, Nkuah wants the Alumni Association to raise money for scholarships at various events. “We will be building for Essex County College,” he said.
Other Alumni Association Executive Officers are Stephanie Carter, Vice President; Patrick Saint Fort, Treasurer; Allison James-Frison, Corresponding Secretary; Nesseline Belceus, Recording Secretary; and Maria Andrade, Serena Barnes, and Corneille Adanou.
“I’m pleased that the Alumni Association had its election with such outstanding candidates. I have confidence in Mr. Asare’s leadership as President and the rest of the Association’s Executive Officers. The College is well on its way toward building a strong and vibrant Alumni Association,” said Interim President Dr. Augustine A. Boakye.
“The College administration is looking forward to giving Mr. Asare, his leadership team and the entire Alumni Association our full support. We are in the process of creating a Welcoming Packet that will be available at our Welcome Center for all alumni,” said Alfred Bundy, Executive Director for Institutional Advancement. He said the packet will provide information on the College’s various services available to alumni.
