Six lessons we have learned from 75 years of Dr. Marcia Grant’s life
Being a teacher, diplomat, college founder and administrator, with experiences from living and working in twelve countries, Ashesi’s Provost Dr. Marcia Grant is one of the few people on campus who can confidently say, “I have seen it all!”
On the 75th birthday of one of Ashesi’s most amazing woman today, here are six lessons we learned when she shared her experiences with the university community on Wednesday, November 26th.
1. Get some experience before going to graduate school.
“When I left Swarthmore I was too young to work. So I went to graduate school. Do not follow in my footsteps. Do not go to graduate school at 20. Take some time, get some other life experiences and get a little less green.”
2. Listen to your gut when you’re young.
“And for those of you in your twenties, enjoy. You’ve got a lot to deal with in your twenties , like falling in love, having to get a job, not knowing what your parents want you to do. What I would say is, make friends with your gut. Listen to your insides. If your parents tell you what to do, smile, go home and listen to your gut. And if you don’t want to do what your parents want you to do, send them to me!”
3. Don’t give up on what you believe in.
“One thing that I learned in Mexico — and it was a hard lesson — is to always take initiative. Even if you totally lose, you did your part. I helped to start the first organisation of Africanists in Mexico back in 1978, and we had a conference on Africa and Asia. They were all supposed to come to my house; I had put out food, with candles burning, and no one came. But I have learned, especially when you move from one culture to another, not to give up. You have to be persistent. Don’t give up.”
4. It’s important to keep in touch with people.
“In Mexico, I thought of friendship as watering my flowers. I needed to water my flowers every week. And one thing that I have learned, as I’ve grown older and some of my friends have passed away, is that it’s important to be in touch.”
5. It’s never too late to start something new. There’s always time.
In 1999, I was the CEO of an NGO in Barcelona Spain, when Her Royal Highness Princess Lolowah al-Faisal, daughter of King Faisal, asked me if I would start a university (in Saudi Arabia). When a Princess asks you to start a university, you can’t say no. This opened up a whole career for me after 60. So to any of you who feel you are slow, I am telling you, there’s time. I repeat, there’s time.”
6. Don’t do things that make you unhappy.
“We have one life, and it’s important not to do things that are uncomfortable for us.”
Happy birthday, Dr. Grant!
