The Power of Mary: A Generational Story of Hope and Opportunity
When I sat down with Mary Ankomah over drunken noodles and pad tai on a sunny afternoon in Boston, she began our conversation with a quiet prayer, a gesture rooted in the faith and resilience that define her journey.
I had recently learned that Ankomah was graduating with a master’s degree in public policy from Northeastern, and as a Program Coordinator with Foundation Year in the College of Professional Studies, I wanted to learn more about her story and what led her to pursue a graduate degree.
Her story, however, truly begins with her grandmother, also named Mary – a woman whose determination helped shape a legacy of opportunity across continents.
Ankomah’s grandmother grew up in Ghana during the country’s historic transition to independence from Great Britain in 1957. Inspired by this moment of hope, she resolved to accomplish two things: 1) send her four sons into the world to seek opportunities beyond what their young nation could offer; and 2) build her own home.
She did both.
Not like the others
One of those sons, Ankomah’s father, ventured to Italy without knowing the language or culture. Through perseverance and an affable personality that attracted opportunity, he built a life there, eventually bringing his wife and young four-year old daughter to join him. Adjusting to life in Italy, Ankomah and her mother struggled with the language and a sense of “otherness” as one of the few Black families in their community.
“Growing up, I rarely saw people who looked like me in positions of influence, whether in the halls of government, at the forefront of community change, or representing esteemed professions like medicine or law,” Ankomah recalled. “Their absence was loud, and I often pondered why. I was often the only black child in spaces where my presence felt like an exception and became aware at a very early age that I was not like the other ones.”
Eventually, Ankomah found belonging through basketball and gradually adapted, helping her family, including her little sister who was born there, navigate Italian society.
In time, however, it became apparent that opportunities were going to be continually limited for Ankomah’s family in Italy. So, after eight years, they moved to Worcester, Massachusetts, joining a small Ghanaian community, including her uncle.
Starting Over All Over Again
Once again, Ankomah faced challenges. She had all-but forgotten English and was placed in ESL classes, feeling isolated and voiceless. Over time, she regained her language skills, rejoined mainstream classes, and once more found community through sport – this time, soccer.
Ankomah’s journey is marked by obstacles, learning new languages, adapting to unfamiliar cultures, and taking on family responsibilities at a young age. Yet, she has transformed adversity into strength, guided by her faith and a deep sense of gratitude.
“Life is a blessing,” she says. “When things happen, they happen for you not to you. The challenges you face are there to bless you, so you can bless others.”
“Life is a blessing,” she says. “When things happen, they happen for you not to you. The challenges you face are there to bless you, so you can bless others.”
Blessed to be a Blessing
Ankomah’s experiences now fuel her work at Northeastern’s Foundation Year program where her passion for elevating student success is empowered by her own educational journey and the many lessons along the way.
Founded in 2009, Foundation Year serves young people in Boston as a transition year into university life, allowing students to maximize their potential at Northeastern. According to its website, the program provides “robust academic curriculum and utilizes a cohort model to foster a tight-knit community and minimize barriers that can hinder students’ success during their first year of college.”
Many of the students in Foundation Year are, like Ankomah, also first-generation students. Like Ankomah, they have overcome obstacles to getting to where they are. While innately reluctant to share her story out of an abundance of humility, Ankomah recognizes that in sharing it, she invites connection, nurtures community, and stirs the still waters of reflection.
“It empowers me to recognize the grace woven into how far I’ve come. It humbles me to know the road ahead still awaits. It inspires me because with faith, all things remain possible.”
Graduation Day and Beyond
It is no small feat to earn a master’s degree. It is made all the more challenging when also balancing full-time work that requires such emotional and personal commitment. But the day finally came for Ankomah in May 2025 and when it did, she was surrounded by family and friends who came from all over the world to celebrate with her.
And while her grandmother was unable to be physically present on the day of the ceremony, she did tune in to watch live online.
“I was most looking forward to my grandmother seeing her name on the screen as I walked the stage,” Ankomah said. “It’s truly the culmination of her vision made so many years ago in Ghana.”
Asked what she hopes to achieve with her new public policy degree, Ankomah said that she wants to make a difference in shaping policies that impact immigrant families such as hers. Ever the solutions-oriented person, Ankomah sees public policy as a means of creating opportunities for more people. No doubt she will bring her same tenacity and vigor to that vision just as she will bring her unshakable faith.
She will also bring with her the power of her namesake. The power of Mary.
