Key to Frimpong’s success has been his willingness to seek out partners. For example, with the support of his parents, Frimpong met with his village’s chief, who arranged for the donation of 100 acres of land on which the facilities will be built. A portion of that land will be cultivated. Students’ families will work on the farm once a week in exchange for a free education for their daughters.
When the opportunity for students to apply for the President’s Engagement Prizes came about, Frimpong recognized it immediately as a chance to put his dream into action.
“I’ve been at Penn since 1983 and have worked with lots of undergraduates and graduates over those years, but Shadrack stands out,” says Penn Medicine professor Harvey Rubin, Frimpong’s project mentor. “He is just electrifying. He is so articulate about what he wants to accomplish, and it’s more than just, ‘I’m going to save the world.’ He really thinks deeply about these things and he knows how to implement them.”