As the son of a teacher, Theodore Adimazoya watched his father influence and impact his students and greater community for over 40 years. When he speaks of his father’s dedication, it isn’t hard to see why he wanted to follow in his footsteps.

“He devoted his life to public service, to being a teacher in situations that weren’t always friendly or supportive, yet that never stopped him from giving his all to his students and his family. He sparked my passion for wanting to be an educator.”

When Theodore began university he recognized there was an absence of lawyers in Ghana, and decided he wanted to have influence on his community in a different way.

“While there were many teachers, there were few lawyers when I was growing, and as often is the case, without strong pillars like that in the community, people don’t realize that they too can achieve this level of success.”

A heart-felt decision

Theodore practiced law for several years, and completed his Master of Laws, but being an educator was always at the back of his mind. With the support of his wife, who currently is in Ghana with their two young children, he made the decision to follow his heart and pursue his PhD.

Theodore says his wife told him, “You’ve wanted to do this your whole life, do it now or there may not be another opportunity to achieve your dream.”

“As much as I wanted this achievement, I wondered how I would support my family – my wife and two young children needed me,” says Theodore. “I received the news of my acceptance into Dalhousie and the Schulich scholarship on the same day. While the acceptance to the Schulich School of Law was profound, it was the news of the scholarship I was waiting for. Without that, I couldn’t study and support my family.”

Giving back to his community

For Theodore, this means he will be able to give back to his community like he has always aspired to do through education.

“There is a need for highly trained researchers in developing countries. I want to share my ideas and contribute to public service in a positive way, through research and ideas to help make a difference.”

“The spirit of this scholarship will forever live within me and allow me to have positive changes in the lives of others. It has made a great difference in my life – allowing me to bring out the teacher who has always been inside of me.”