Portia Agyapong
Portia Agyapong
MA in English, 2025
“It would be very hard to describe my experiences in a few sentences or try to even choose which experiences to share. For me, every moment at MSU shaped the person I am today. Every experience had an impact on me.” Even with her completed master’s degree in English, 2025 alumna Portia Agyapong said she struggles to find the perfect words to describe her experience at MSU.
Agyapong, now a second-year Ph.D. student at Georgia State University, earned her bachelor’s degree in her home country of Ghana and then found her way to MSU for a master’s degree.
“I loved my professors’ office hours. I would always pass by their office to discuss an assignment or just chat about random stuff. I don’t have the right words to describe the feeling, but each time I visited their office I found warmth and motivation,” she said about the impact of the MSU English faculty.
Similarly, her connection to her professors played a crucial role in shaping her path. “I enjoyed working with all my professors, but career-wise, I would say Dr. Kelly Marsh and Dr. Dhanashree Thorat had the biggest influence on me because of their research areas. Taking their postcolonial classes prepared me for my Ph.D. journey. They keep showing up and showing out for me even after my master’s graduation.”
Along with her commitment to her continued education, Agyapong teaches English composition and works as a writing consultant at GSU’s writing studio. She fills her time outside of English with travel and volunteering.
“It’s been fun meeting new people from diverse backgrounds even though I’m still adjusting to city life. I miss MSU for its quietness and close-knit community.” That community, Agyapong said, still shows up for her through frequent check-ins.
Her advice to students today is a lesson she took from her professors: “Everything you need is in community,” she said. “So yes, everything you need is in MSU. However, you cannot do MSU alone. You need to do MSU with your people, your community.”
She describes her CAS experience as a “metamorphosis,” one that changed her for the better. “I have seen a significant transformation and/or change in every aspect of my life—academically, personally, professionally.”