-By Dr. Amos Claudius Sawyer Educational Foundation

Monrovia, Liberia — At a ceremony held on Wednesday, September 25, 2024, the Dr. Amos Claudius Sawyer Educational Foundation announced that Miss Beatrice Snyder, a recent graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, has been awarded a fully funded scholarship to pursue her Master’s degree at the University of Liberia Graduate School.
The announcement was made by Mrs. Thelma E. Duncan Sawyer, the widow of Dr. Amos Claudius Sawyer, during the Annual Academic Recognition and Honoring Program organized by the Office of the Dean and the academic team of the Amos C. Sawyer College of Social Sciences and Humanities at the University of Liberia.
Miss Snyder, who has faced significant challenges due to her physical disability, recently exited the tedious walls of the University of Liberia (UL). Her achievement has been celebrated by many, considering her courage to pursue such an academic feat despite her disability.
During the event, Ms. Sawyer expressed her pride in the foundation’s commitment to supporting students who exhibit exceptional talent and perseverance, particularly those with disabilities.
The Amos C. Sawyer College of Social Sciences and Humanities expressed its gratitude to the Dr. Amos Claudius Sawyer Educational Foundation for this generous gesture, highlighting its significance not only for Miss Snyder but also for the college and the University of Liberia as a whole.
Breaking the chain:
Among her five siblings, Beatrice is the only one to reach university. “She had six children, and among every one of them, I’m the only person that is coming out of university. The majority stopped in high school. One of my elderly sisters graduated from high school, but she never reached university,” she tells this paper.
Overwhelmed and motivated, Beatrice earlier shared the emotions and joy that came along with the achievement. According to her, it is not just a personal victory, but it is a testimony to her mother’s dreams and sacrifices.
“It brings me joy. Seriously, it brings me tears of joy. Yesterday, when I got my Clearance, I felt so emotional, reflecting on all I have been through. Going under the rain and sun. Many days, I got sick, but I had to fight it and go on campus. Many days, I used to be sick, but I just used to gather courage and say I could make it because if I sat back and took medicine, it would help, but I would be lacking something. It has been a real challenge for me, so when I got my clearance, I felt so emotional. I felt that I could do more,” she stated.
Physical Barriers:
Commenting on her challenges with the physical structure of the facility, Beatrice Snyder noted that her journey through the University of Liberia has also been fraught with physical obstacles. The campus is not designed to accommodate students with disabilities, and this made it a daily battle to navigate the terrain.
“My stay at the University of Liberia has been a challenging one. Looking at the structure of the University of Liberia it is not disable-friendly. So, me being a disable there and other disables that are there currently, we find it difficult to get from one class to another. Especially when your class is upstairs and if there is only one section created for that class,” she explained.
In some cases, she reached out to her department heads to address some of these concerns. She praised her junior brother for helping her throughout her days at the University while he also attended school. “I always planned my classes in a way that I would find myself in the classroom or I would find myself on the campus early. I planned my courses in the morning, then my little brother will go to school in the afternoon, or some semesters, he will go in the morning while I go in the afternoon.”