What a week for RtD!

June 2011

Right to Dream (RtD) students and graduates have had a particularly busy and impressive time over the past week, with great achievements being achieved across the board.

The U15 squad won the African Qualifiers of the Manchester United Premier Cup for the fourth year in succession and will be heading to the World Finals in August of this year.  A full report can be viewed here.  Other football achievements have included two RtD graduates, Bismark Kwarteng and Thomas Boakye, playing defining roles in helping Hartpury College win the England Colleges National Football Final with Boakye being awarded Man of the Match for his impressive contribution. 

In America, RtD graduates have also been achieving great things.  C Nortey and Atobra have graduated from The Hotchkiss School where C took home the hardware at the Hotchkiss prize night.  He was awarded six varsity letters, The Ellen Torrey Dance Prize and The Charles Denton Treadway ’14 Memorial Prize, which is given to the student that had the most positive impact on the graduating class, by vote of the faculty.  His name will be added to the award board in the school’s Dining Room in honor of this.  Both C and Atobra will continue their studies at Marquette University and the University of Hartford respectively.

Waid Ibrahim was also honored at The 2011 University of Santa Barbara Award Ceremony last week.  The Gaucho Heart Award is given annually to a student-athlete that has shown courage in the face of adversity which Waid has certainly done.  Waid was thrilled to receive the award and commented, ‘I am very grateful to everyone that has supported me throughout my struggles.  I have learnt that we will all face obstacles at one point in our lives, however, it is how we handle the situation defines who we truly are.  I am blessed to have a great network of people who have guarded me and whose energies have been focused on the task ahead rather than looking back on the past’.

RtD Academy Captain, Sirdick, remarked on the week’s events that ‘winning the African Qualifier is a very big opportunity for us and learning about how RtD graduates have succeeded provides us with great motivation.  They are excellent role models for all of the boys at the Academy’.

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Video footage of Waid's award