Title: Lessons Learned from the Ashesi Innovation Experience (AIX)

The clock was mercilessly ticking, and the minutes felt like hours. It was 3:25 AM, and I found
myself engulfed in a mix of frustration and exhaustion. This was the twentieth time I had
checked my watch, hoping it would somehow stop moving. I was facing a daunting challenge - a
presentation due in just five hours, and my engineering project was far from complete. With
beads of sweat on my forehead and my hands busy at work, doubt crept in. This was the
moment I realized the profound lessons that the Ashesi Innovation Experience (AIX) in Ghana
had in store for me.
The journey began when I first heard about AIX, a prestigious engineering program run by
Ashesi University. My enthusiasm for all things engineering propelled me to register
immediately. I was the quintessential engineer - designing circuit boards, building robots, and
fixing electronic gadgets at my leisure. AIX seemed like the perfect opportunity to showcase my
skills. My confidence was sky-high, and I entered the program with unwavering swagger.
However, my two weeks at AIX would turn out to be anything but a walk in the park. For starters,
I was assigned to a team, a situation entirely new to me. In my high school, I had been
accustomed to working alone on projects, with only my thoughts for company. Now, I had to
navigate the intricacies of teamwork, team building, and effective communication – skills I
considered irrelevant. “How hard could it be to work in a team or express an idea?” I naively
muttered to myself. I cringed through the initial days spent on these ‘inconsequential’ soft skills,
eagerly awaiting the hands-on engineering part.
On the third day, the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering addressed us, promising that our
confidence would be shattered, our minds blown, and our lives changed forever. While his
words were compelling, I remained somewhat unmoved, eager for the real action to commence.
My overconfidence became evident as I disregarded advice on teamwork, preferring to take
center stage. I believed my opinion was the only one that mattered. It was a recipe for disaster.
Our first team project was to design a smart home using Arduino kits, involving sensors,
actuators, IoT controllers, and indicators – a realm unfamiliar to me. Over three days, I spent
more time trying to work alone than listening to my teammates’ suggestions. We made little
progress, and the clock relentlessly counted down to our presentation.
With just five hours left, the panic set in. My teammate Kojo, who had previously witnessed my
stubbornness, finally intervened. Frustration and tears overcame me as I realized I had not only
let myself down but also my team. Kojo woke the others, and we rushed to the lab. A
last-minute brainstorming session ensued, and an hour before the presentation, our model was
ready and tested.
Although I was too exhausted to present, the joy of watching my team present our idea filled me
with happiness and, most importantly, humility. It was a humbling experience that taught me the
true value of teamwork and the importance of listening to others.
The Ashesi Innovation Experience (AIX) taught me lessons that extended far beyond
engineering skills. It was a journey from arrogance to humility, emphasizing the significance of
teamwork and effective communication in achieving success. My experience at AIX was not just
about engineering; it was about personal growth and transformation.