On May 16, as hundreds of families gather at the Freedom Mortgage Pavilion to celebrate their graduate’s accomplishments, the Abanyie family will be celebrating a milestone of their own. Samuel and Mulinda will watch their fourth and final child cross the stage as a Camden County College graduate. All four Abanyie children, Kojo, Ekow, Akua, and Araba, were homeschooled by their parents, and enrolled in CCC’s College Now program as Juniors to supplement their education with an Associate Degree that would correlate directly with the course of study they intend to pursue at a four-year institution.
The College Now program allows high school students with the opportunity to begin their college coursework while in high school. Students enrolled in the College Now program can begin taking courses at Camden County College as a rising junior and have the ability to potentially earn an associate’s degree prior to graduating from high school.
“Our experience was great, the advisors helped us navigate and select classes that fit our homeschool schedule and aligned with what our kids intended on studying at a four-year institution. The College Now process provided us with the appropriate supplementation to fill in the gaps that we needed for a complete homeschool program,” Samuel explained.
The eldest Abanyie child, Kojo Abanyie ‘18, graduated from CCC in 2018, then went on to receive a Doctor of Pharmacy from Rutgers University- New Brunswick in 2022. He then continued his education even further, receiving his Master in Biomedical Informatics this month from the University of Pittsburgh, where he just completed a three-year fellowship. He now works as an IT Pharmacist now with Inspira Health Network.
Their second child, Ekow Abanyie ‘20 graduated from CCC in the midst of the Covid-19 Pandemic, against the extraordinary odds of pursuing higher education within a global health crisis, Ekow transferred to Saint Joseph’s University, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Science in 2023. He remained at Saint Joseph’s University to pursue a Master of Science in Drug Development and Industrial Pharmacy, which he received earlier this month.
The third Abanyie child, Akua Abanyie ‘23 graduated from CCC in 2023, and transferred to Rowan University where she will graduate in December of this year with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Last, but certainly not least, is their fourth and final child, Araba Abanyie, who will follow in her siblings footsteps when she crosses the stage on May 16. In the fall, Araba will be attending Widener University as part of their accelerated Doctorate of Physical Therapy 3+3 program, thanks to completing her prerequisites at CCC, she will likely achieve her DPT quicker than her classmates. Araba was also recruited to play Division III soccer at Widener, and received over $132,000 in scholarships.
As the almost decade-long relationship with CCC comes to a close, the Abanyie family acknowledges the impact that the College Now program had on their family.
“The College Now program inspired our kids to aim high, helped them complete two years of college during high school, and laid a strong foundation that allowed them to excel at their four-year universities, all while providing us two years’ of reduced college tuition,” reflected Samuel.
Congratulations to Araba, and to the entire Abanyie family! To learn more about the College Now program, please visit: www.camdencc.edu/about-1/for-school-districts/college-now/
