International student Prince Kessie came to Illinois State University with some trepidation about being so far from home and family. He also came with plenty of determination to pursue a graduate degree in Creative Technologies (CTK). Once here, the kindness of strangers-turned-friends has made all the difference.
Kessie, 28, grew up in Greater Kumasi, in the Ashanti region of Ghana. He arrived in Normal in the fall of 2022 to begin his master’s degree. At first, he had mixed feelings about moving so far away to an unfamiliar and smaller community, but he was focused on making the most of the opportunity.
“I told myself: ‘You are about to see a new life,’” he said. “It’s not as busy as a city, but it has been a nice experience. I’ve made lifelong friendships, and I’ve been able to visit 12 different states.”
One of the things that helped him feel more comfortable in his new surroundings was playing soccer.
“We play soccer on Saturdays in a park during the summer months,” he said. “I met Nigerians, Congolese, and fellow Ghanaians that I could speak my native language (Twi) with. This experience helped me feel less lonely.”
The oldest of six children, Kessie is the first in his family to go to college, the first to receive a bachelor’s degree, and now the first to earn a master’s degree.
“I feel like I’m opening the gate for my younger siblings to follow,” he said.
He started high school with ambitions of studying science and becoming a computer student when he got to college, but it didn’t work out as he’d planned. So, he chose the visual arts and found his home there.
“In my undergraduate years I realized that the visual arts had more to it at the college level,” he said. “I could do web design and development, animation, videography, motion graphics, etc. It went beyond the normal brush and paint stuff that I did in high school.”
“The faculty and CTK student body are more than a department—it’s a family. They’ve been open-minded and open-hearted, and everyone is there for you. I never felt alone here, and they are a big part of my success.”
Prince Kessie
He discovered Illinois State while looking for graduate programs that fit well with his bachelor’s degree in graphic design and a concentration in multimedia design.
“I wanted to express myself as a multimedia guy, and CTK fit my interests,” he said. “Doing Virtual Reality and UI/UX design is what I want to do. I was so happy to find the program here.”
A key person in his decision to become a Redbird was Kristin Carlson, CTK’s graduate coordinator. He was impressed from the start by her prompt attention to his questions.
“She responded and was so available for all my concerns,” he said. “She was so good that I didn’t apply to any other programs. She was responsive to every email, and we exchanged over 200 emails before I arrived. That was the extent of her care for me in getting all the understanding I needed to get to ISU.”
He earned his monthly stipend and tuition waiver as a graduate teaching assistant (TA) teaching computer programming and a videography (web video) class. He also worked on several civic engagement projects, one of which was teaching young people within the Bloomington-Normal community how to dance capoeira.
Other highlights during his time included doing video work for the Central Illinois Special Hockey Association and attending a UX design day conference at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He also participated in local mentoring and educational initiatives related to video and UX design.
He’s grateful for the support of his parents and siblings and from his guardians back in Ghana: Mr. and Mrs. Antwi Boasiako.
On campus he immediately felt welcomed and supported by professors and fellow students.
“The faculty and CTK student body are more than a department—it’s a family,” he said. “They’ve been open-minded and open-hearted, and everyone is there for you. I never felt alone here, and they are a big part of my success.
“And our program’s director, Rose Marshack, has been like a mother to me. She’s been so helpful to me.”
He enjoyed working as a TA for Annie Sungkajun, CTK assistant professor, in her motion graphics and augmented reality class. And he felt special gratitude to Aaron Paolucci, director and graduate coordinator of CTK. When Kessie didn’t have the equipment he needed for some schoolwork, Paolucci loaned him his office.
“He gave me his entire office to work on my VR class because I didn’t have a strong enough computer,” Kessie said. “He let me use his massive Alienware computer.”
Kessie said the kind words of Professor Roy Magnuson after he completed a challenging VR class will not be forgotten.
“It was so difficult that I didn’t know what I was doing, and he wrote me a note about my work,” Kessie said. “He wrote: ‘I know how hard it was for you, and I’m so proud of you and how far you’ve come. Good job!’ It was very encouraging and made me cry tears of joy.”
Now, as he graduates, he feels a lot of pride in his latest academic achievement.
“I’m excited that I’m graduating, and I’m proud of myself that I’ve set an example for my younger siblings so that they know that we can do anything,” Kessie said. “I’m also proud that out of the numerous applicants that I was chosen as one of the best to be given the opportunity to study for my master’s. It’s especially meaningful because my parents didn’t have this kind of opportunity.”
Even though his family can’t be here for commencement, he’ll be surrounded by his Illinois State friends, both international and from the U.S. He will also have close friends he’s met outside of school there to cheer him on.
“I’ve met some beautiful families here who made me feel like part of the family,” Kessie said.
His goal after graduation is to begin a career in UI/UX design working on app design and development, and cybersecurity, a new venture he recently added to his portfolio. He’d like to stay in the U.S. too.
“As an international student without permanent residency, there may be some obstacles,” he said. “But one day with the grace of God and my skill set, I will be able to land my dream job soon.”
This story is one of a series of profiles on Redbirds who are graduating this May. For more information about how Illinois State is celebrating commencement, visit the Graduation Services website.
