Telecommunications company Telecel Ghana has recognised Kathleen Nicole Brown as the best graduating female student in computer engineering at the University of Ghana for the 2024/2025 academic year.

The award was presented during the university’s Vice-Chancellor’s Academic Awards ceremony held at the Great Hall, where Ms Brown emerged as the recipient of the Telecel Ghana Prize after completing a demanding four-year programme in computer engineering.

The annual prize, sponsored by Telecel Ghana for more than a decade, forms part of efforts to promote female participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), particularly in fields where women remain underrepresented.

Speaking after receiving the award, Ms Brown expressed excitement about her achievement and reflected on the discipline required to excel academically. “I’m very excited because a lot of work went into this achievement over the last four years. I'm so grateful to God that it all paid off. What worked for me was having a good study plan, a good study group and performing well consistently in my academics,” she said. “I’m also grateful to Telecel for giving me the industry exposure and mentorship in the past year.”

Ms Brown was among beneficiaries of Telecel’s Female Engineering Students Scholarship Programme (FESSP) in 2024, an initiative designed to support final-year female engineering students through tuition assistance, mentorship and professional exposure. Another beneficiary of the programme, Marie-Pearl Yaa Nono Akoto, also received recognition at the ceremony as the best student in computer science.

Telecel Ghana said the FESSP initiative is aimed at addressing barriers that limit female participation in technical fields by providing financial support and connecting students to experienced female engineers for mentorship and career guidance.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, noted that the awards scheme has been expanded to celebrate excellence in both academic and co-curricular activities. “The ceremony is to recognise and applaud students who have distinguished themselves in both academic and co-curricular activities in the 2024/2025 academic year. We are delighted to present 189 prizes to 151 deserving recipients, with 82 of them being female,” she said.

Telecel Ghana’s Human Resource Director, Rachael Appenteng, described the award as part of the company’s long-term investment in developing female talent for Ghana’s digital economy. “We believe recognising academic excellence is one practical way of building the pipeline of female talent needed for Ghana’s digital future. This prize reflects our commitment to encouraging young women who are choosing underrepresented fields such as computer engineering to be more visible, equipped and supported to lead in technology, engineering and innovation,” she stated.

Beyond the recognition, Ms Brown expressed hope that her achievement would inspire more young women to pursue careers in engineering and other technical disciplines. “I hope this prize inspires more girls to believe in themselves and pursue engineering or any course they want. They just need to have the mindset that they can do it. With that mindset and determination to learn, you can pursue any programme. So don't be scared, just start and do it,” she said.

Looking ahead, she indicated plans to deepen her expertise in emerging areas such as machine learning, embedded systems and hardware security, as she prepares for further studies and career development in the technology sector.