91短视频

Joshua Mensah landed at 91短视频 because his Nobel prize-winning mother, , wanted him to go to a .

鈥淐oming from an African culture, your parents are in charge,鈥� says Mensah. 鈥淵ou may have an opinion, but they have the final say. They know what鈥檚 best for you.鈥�

A , Mensah received his bachelor’s degree from 91短视频 on April 27. His mother, a 2007 MA graduate of 91短视频 who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011, was the speaker.

When he first saw the small quiet campus, Mensah had doubts about his mother鈥檚 choice. 鈥淚鈥檝e always lived in cities. I envisioned a larger place. My first impression was 鈥� 鈥榃hat is this?鈥欌��

Mensah鈥檚 family is currently centered in New York City. He takes annual trips to Ghana and Liberia to reconnect with extended family and 鈥渞efresh my culture.鈥�

He readily identifies with 鈥溾�� raised in multiple countries and cultural settings. 鈥淚 notice things, subtle differences that others might miss. I describe myself as an introvert-extrovert. I get energy from people, but I like thinking, collecting ideas, analyzing.鈥�

Mensah hopes to return to Africa to share what he鈥檚 learned with his generation of budding artists after completing his cross-cultural requirement at this summer.

鈥淚 want to be an entrepreneur, do business after college. I feel like I have the right ideas,鈥� says Mensah. 鈥淚 want to take this newfound love for media, visual communications, and apply it back to Liberia and Ghana.鈥�

This spring, for example, Mensah was part of a group of student videographers who produced “,” a documentary that linked a chemical spill in West Virginia鈥檚 Elk River in early 2014 to pollution feared from a proposed 4.5-mile open-pit iron mine in Wisconsin鈥檚 Penokee Hills.

Mensah says he wants to 鈥渞e-teach, share what I鈥檝e learned at 91短视频 and not just make money off of it鈥� by opening a photo studio and offering classes 鈥渁s a way to bring young people into this line of work.鈥�

Mensah鈥檚 artistic skills were apparent at a young age. In high school he began hand-painting designs onto white t-shirts. He now has a line of international urban clothing which he sells through /.

The street word 鈥渄ub鈥� is the brand name Mensah chose for his business venture. 鈥淚t can mean a number of things. It could mean twenty, it could mean to win, as in 鈥榳e got the W.鈥� Dub means a re-mixed Jamaican song. I think it鈥檚 a special word. I took that word and I put another meaning to it. And it still means we are winning, we are champions. We鈥檙e pushing something good.鈥�

During his junior year in the only business class he took at 91短视频, Mensah parlayed his idea for an app to a weekend at James Madison University. He convincingly communicated the concept for his event finder and planner app, which he named 鈥淰ite-us,鈥� to the win the 鈥渟ilver medal鈥� among 24 competitors. He also won a business plan competition among students taught by 91短视频 business professor Tony Smith.

Mensah鈥檚 multiple talents were on display in the he created for his senior show in early April, an original song 鈥淏eauty鈥� to celebrate the life of a high school friend who died earlier this year in Ghana.

Combining original lyrics, collaborative music by a high school friend and a kaleidoscopic montage of double-exposure video, Mensah鈥檚 capstone project showcased his visual and musical abilities.

鈥淲hat pushed me to make this project 鈥� I鈥檇 hear people say, 鈥極h, your friend was so beautiful.鈥� I felt like they didn鈥檛 know how beautiful she really was. They only saw the physical beauty,鈥� says Mensah.

鈥淵ou can鈥檛 rely on how you look to sustain you. What is fundamentally beautiful is compassion for yourself and your people,鈥� is the Lupita Nyong鈥檕 quote he chose for the opening lines.

Gbowee鈥檚 advice to her son during his college years? 鈥淲ork hard鈥�and focus. Focus, that鈥檚 the one word I try to remember,鈥� says Mensah.

Focus鈥� and a strong dose of optimism and wonder. 鈥淟ife is so crazy. God is so mysterious. He鈥檚 wonderful,鈥� says Mensah. 鈥淲hen I think about how my life is unfolding, it鈥檚 motivation to keep moving forward, to think positive for the future.鈥�