Meet the General Arts student who became KNUST College of Engineering valedictorian

The book of greatness often begins with an inspiring introduction, and for Otuo Serebour Opoku-Ware, that chapter came when he became the best graduating student at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology’s (KNUST) College of Engineering.

Otuo Serebour Opoku-Ware graduated with a Cumulative Weighted Average (CWA) of 86.75, a little below the College’s 2024 valedictorian, Isaac Oniti, who earned a CWA of 87.23.

Why is he making headlines? It’s because Otuo Serebour had no prior knowledge of engineering when he entered university with a General Arts background, yet he became the valedictorian of KNUST’s College of Engineering.

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He began his education at Gilead Academy before moving on to Opoku-Ware School in the Ashanti Region.

At Opoku-Ware School, he pursued General Arts, taking electives in Economics, Geography, Government, and Elective Mathematics. He graduated with seven A’s and a B2 in his West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

Although he studied General Arts, Otuo Serebour dreamed of becoming a civil engineer. To meet the prerequisites for an engineering degree, he pursued further studies in Physics and Chemistry at Elite College. After successfully completing these subjects, he applied to KNUST and was admitted to the College of Engineering.

Sharing his journey with VOK Live, Otuo Serebour admitted that entering the College of Engineering with a General Arts background and competing with peers who already had years of experience in science and maths was initially intimidating.

“I came into the College of Engineering with a General Arts background. So you see, competing with these people who had about three years of experience in science and some even representing their schools in the National Science and Maths Quiz, it was intimidating,” he said.

He explained that when he first joined the engineering program, his goal was to graduate with a first class.

However, he realised he could achieve even more, eventually completing his studies as the overall best graduating student in the College of Engineering.

“My goal when I entered KNUST Civil Engineering was to try to get a first class. For me, getting a first class in engineering from my story was just gratifying enough. But later, I realised that I could do more than just that. So I went for it,” he added.

Out of the 60 courses he took, Otuo Serebour scored 25 A’s in the 90–99 range, 21 A’s in the 80–89 range, 11 A’s in the 70–79 range, and 3 B’s with a 69, totaling 57 A’s and 3 B’s.

His achievements were not limited to academics. Otuo Serebour was also involved in campus life, serving as Chair of the Trade and Technology Committee and as a member of the Academic Executive Board of the Civil Engineering Students’ Association.

AK/SSM