My Education Journey: A dream of obtaining a Master’s Degree is now at risk by Margaret S. Suah

My name is Margaret S. Suah, and I come from a small country, Liberia. Coming from a humble and struggling background, I have faced many challenges. Growing up, access to education was never easy, but one thing that has remained constant has been my belief in the power of education to break barriers and change lives.

My journey in education has been one of resilience, determination, and unwavering hope, but I worked hard, determined to rise above my circumstances. Through perseverance, I managed to pursue higher education, knowing that with knowledge comes the power to transform not just my life but also my community. From the very beginning, I knew that education was more than just a personal goal. It has been my calling so I have spent years working with young learners as a classroom teacher, training teachers, and advocating for better learning environments, particularly in early childhood education.

Amid this hard work, determination, resilience and tireless efforts applied, I was opportune to have been awarded a scholarship from the USAID funded Transforming Education System for Teachers and Students (TESTS) program to study in Ghana. This scholarship was offered to a small number of qualified candidates to help improve the quality of education among university lecturers in Liberia, as part of the required policy change to ensure any lecturers of Bachelor’s Degree students have at least a Master’s Degree. I was hoping to become a highly qualified female lecturer, as the vast majority of primary, secondary, and tertiary teachers are male. With this opportunity, I felt my dreams had finally come true. In my second year of study, the program was terminated as a result of the USAID shutdown. This abrupt shutdown meant that my scholarship has ended and potentially my ability to obtain a Master’s Degree in Education.  

I was focusing my area of study on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) an approach that ensures every child, regardless of ability or background, has an equal opportunity to learn. I had learned about this approach through the TESTS program and trainings provided by Inclusive Development Partners (IDP). This research has the potential to transform how we teach and create inclusive classrooms for all children. I sincerely believe that when you invest in education, you invest in the future, not just mine, but in the countless children and teachers who will benefit from the work I am committed to doing. I believe that together, we can break barriers and create opportunities for learners everywhere. With the termination of my scholarship, I am unable to finish my research that can help the Liberian education system.

Despite working tirelessly to support my education, the costs of tuition, research, lugging air tickets, meals and academic resources have become overwhelming. I am so close to the finish line, yet without additional financial support, my dream of completing this degree and making a lasting impact in education is at risk.

In an attempt to raise funds to help Margaret reach her dream of completing a Master’s Degree, a GoFundMe account has been created.  All contributions will go towards her research and her remaining tuition expenses.