Brian Osei-Boateng calls it his ‘training montage era’ – he was two years into his program when he knew he had to kick it into high gear academically if he wanted to graduate on time.
What followed was a serious look inward for the Bachelor of Technology (BTech) Program student, figuring out better study habits and asking a lot of questions.
It all paid off for Osei-Boateng, who is set to cross the Convocation stage this week.
“It feels amazing,” says Osei-Boateng of having accomplished his goal.
The graduand points to two key elements of his success: patience and persistence. He admits high grades didn’t come easily for him, and so he tapped into the resources around him to make it to the finish line of the four-and-a-half year long program.
He consulted with academic advisors, asked questions of his professors and got the help of his BTech classmates.
He says he often thought of a quote by motivational speaker Eric Thomas to keep him focused. “When you get to a certain level of success, it’s not about skill it’s about stamina. It’s just about how long will you be able to endure something.”
Leaving a legacy
Osei-Boateng put the work in outside of the classroom too, and he says he is proud of the legacy he built during his time at McMaster.
He got involved in the Black Student Mentorship Program (BSMP), helping coordinate some of their first events.
“I am proud to have contributed to its existence,” says Osei-Boateng. “I hope that it is there for years and years to come because it is such a great initiative.”
A favourite memory of his time at McMaster was getting to know campus and his classmates during Welcome Week in 2019. He’d go on to be a Welcome Week rep three times.
He says he is happy that when Welcome Week returned to being fully in-person in 2022, he was able to help recreate the magic that he’d felt as a first-year student. “Being able to give that energy that someone gave to me in 2019 in 2022 was really special.”
The next chapter
Osei-Boateng says now that he has completed degree, he is eager to build a career.
“I am ready to show the world that I belong here, and I am someone who is ready to make an impact.”
His next long-term goal is to someday work in consulting, but for the moment, he is excited to cross the Convocation stage, to celebrate his accomplishments and to reconnect with his BTech classmates.
“We are going to soak in the moment,” says Osei-Boateng. “Because we all earned it.”
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