Enoch Bright Ampong is a 28-year-old museum docent born and raised in the Central Region of Ghana. In 2016, while still pursuing his undergraduate degree, Enoch began giving tours at UNESCO World Heritage Site Elmina Castle, the oldest European building south of the Sahara and one of the primary depots where West and Central African captives were imprisoned and tortured before transshipment to the New World. After graduating with honors from Takoradi Technical University with a degree in tourism management, Enoch continues to lead tours at Elmina and has spent the last few years conducting personal research on the transatlantic slave trade to provide quality educational experiences to visitors. “It is my aim to help establish one of the best museums in Ghana,” Ampong concluded, “to generate revenue for my country and to preach the gospel of unity amongst humanity so we never again perpetrate such injustice.”

“I’m very proud to say that I have never gotten a bad review after my tour,” Enoch reflected.

Enoch’s interpretive passion and tactful communication have not gone unnoticed by visitors, including Peter Rutkoff, an adjunct professor at SUNY Oneonta’s Cooperstown Graduate Program (CGP) who met Ampong on a tour at Elmina in August 2022 during one of his many research trips to Ghana. “Elmina is a horrible place; even more horrible because the surroundings are so beautiful,” Rutkoff recalled. “The docent I met there, however, was wonderful and knowledgeable.” Rutkoff gave Ampong his e-mail address and encouraged him to continue his museum education at CGP, one of the oldest museum studies programs in the country. Working closely with CGP Director Professor Gretchen Sorin, Enoch completed his application and in 2023 was formally accepted into the two-year graduate program.

However, Enoch is unable to pay tuition at the current level of financial aid available through CGP and SUNY Oneonta. Despite Ghana’s status as one of the strongest economies and states in West Africa, it can be very difficult for young people like Enoch to find steady, well-paying jobs. Ampong said that he usually makes about $30.00 USD a month in a semi-official capacity as a tour guide during the season and otherwise relies on $3.00 USD per day doing hard labor at construction sites. From a young age, he has dreamed of finding a new life in the U.S. and of returning home to enrich Ghana. “I had an African American English teacher in high school,” he recalled, “and her stories about America inspired me.” Enoch plans to defer his acceptance and begin the program in 2024, hoping to secure funding in the meantime.

Parishioners at St Mary’s Episcopal in Springfield and at Cooperstown Baptist Church have generously pledged initial funds to support Enoch’s CGP education, but further financial resources are still needed. We urge you to contribute to Enoch’s educational fund to whatever extent possible. Enoch’s enrollment at CGP will not only support his own professional goals, but will enrich the entire student body as Enoch shares his expertise and experience with peers in a collaborative learning environment. An accomplished yet humble museum interpreter, Enoch has repeatedly expressed his gratitude to CGP and to anyone able to help him achieve his goal.

“I realized that my life can only be better if I follow my heart,” he said, referring both to his passion for informative museums and his desire for a U.S. education.

Thank you for considering donating to Enoch Bright Ampong’s educational fund. Many lives may be changed with your contribution.