KNUST First-Class Graduate Surprises Many After Starting Shawarma Business
- A KNUST first-class Statistics graduate, Emmanuel Danquah, now runs a shawarma stand near campus, surprising many online
- His story trended under #RxPATOA, a challenge highlighting the gap between what people study and what they end up doing
- Ghanaians praised his resilience, calling him an example of adapting to economic realities with courage and creativity
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A recent tweet has sparked a series of reactions after a Ghanaian graduate revealed his surprising career pivot from studying BSc statistics to becoming a street food vendor.
Source: Twitter
YEN.com.gh spotted a post on X shared by the user @not_brokenheart that featured a photo of the graduate in question, Emmanuel Danquah, standing in front of his shawarma stand, located near the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Ayeduase Engineering Gate in Kumasi.
His signboard, branding, and customer-ready attitude that speaks 'SHAWARMA BOIZ' quickly caught the attention of many. This sparked a flood of reactions under the trending hashtag, #RxPATOA, a challenge started by Ghanaian singer, Bhadext Patoa, on his X account.
The singer had asked the question:
“What programme did you study at the university/tertiary level, and what are you doing now?”
Though he holds a Degree in Statistics, a field often associated with office jobs and corporate analytics, the young entrepreneur chose a path of self-employment.
He became a food vendor as a way to make a living and create opportunities in a competitive job market.
KNUST graduate speaks on owning a restaurant
Speaking to YEN.com.gh, Emmanuel Danquah opened up about his ambition to grow his food business into a restaurant.
"I see our business becoming a big restaurant with branches across the nation," he told YEN.com.gh.
Check out the post below:
Emmanuel then shared a photo of his certificate. He disclosed that he graduated from KNUST with a first-class degree in Statistics.
See his follow-up tweet below.
Ghanaians hail Emmanuel Danquah's adaptability
Ghanaians online have hailed his boldness, resilience, and ability to adapt in the face of economic pressure.
Many said his move is a reflection of the realities young graduates face in Ghana today, where passion and hustle often trump certificates.
Source: Twitter
One of the social media users who responded to the post questioned the usefulness of education and going to university, and whether this helps learners in their future lives.
The X user, identified as @KosuaNeMeko3 wrote:
"Ei chale idey fear saf, anaa make I stop the sch cuz ei."
Emmanuel then replied, saying:
"This was made possible because of school, bro. Don’t stop."
The tweet has become a talking point about the mismatch between education and employment, but also a celebration of young people making something out of nothing.
As thousands continue to debate Ghana’s education-to-work system, this story serves as a reminder that success isn’t always linear; sometimes, it comes wrapped in discovery and ideas.
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Unemployed KNUST graduate begs for job online
YEN.com.gh had earlier reported that a young Ghanaian graduate, identified as Benjamin Kojo Dickson, made a public appeal for a job, following years of being unemployed.
The Ghanaian man graduated from KNUST in 2022 with a certificate in Agribusiness Management.
However, he appealed to employers seeking workers to reach out to him via his social media handles.
Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
