Nelly Adjoa Sakyi-Hagan
BIO
Lecturer of science, wife, mother of four and PhD student of the University of Education, Winneba.
Instagram: @nellyhagan
Nelly Adjoa Sakyi-Hagan
“It is indeed a hard time to be a mother in science, but it is quite achievable with determination and perseverance.”
My science journey started right from primary school, where I gained so much interest in the projects we carried out there. For instance, an experiment on dispersion of light using a plane mirror, and lighting a sheet of paper using a concave mirror made my science instincts come alive. In secondary school, as a pure science student I enjoyed the tuition of my physics tutor so much that I decided to study physics at University. At the university I was one of only 3 females among 17 students who studied physics.
Entering university already as a wife and a mother made my journey through the physics course a difficult one, especially when I gave birth to my second daughter in year two and also my third daughter in year three.
The struggles of motherhood coupled with studying a very strong subject like physics did not make my dream of obtaining 1st class in physics a reality. I ended up with 2nd class (upper division).
I am currently a lecturer of physics and integrated science, and I have so much to do at any point in time. I have to take care of the home, which involves caring for the children and my husband, going to the market, cooking, cleaning, washing and more. But I also have to prepare lesson materials and presentations for my students, carry out research and publish articles in reputable journals for academic progress and promotion, provide academia counseling for students and provide social and community help, and more!