"I gave birth on Sunday and had class on Tuesday": Kafui Dedjoe (MBA '23) shares raising a family while pursuing her MBA

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We spoke with Kafui Dedjoe (MBA '23), who completed her degree while raising three children and giving birth to a fourth while she was in the program. Kafui's story serves as an inspiration to those balancing family life and education, as well as to those looking to pursue further education after being away from the classroom for some time.  

Having been away from school for seven years before enrolling in your MBA, how did you approach the transition back to academic life? What advice would you give to other professionals, especially those who are also parents, considering going back to school?

It wasn’t an easy transition back for sure. There were certainly days when I questioned my decision especially quickly realizing the amount of time I had to commit to my studies. That notwithstanding, I had a resolve to take the lead. I knew there was always the first time to a situation which then becomes motivation to others, and this is how I approached my transition. I knew I had been away from school for a while so I obviously had to put in more and keep invested to ensure that I wasn’t missing anything on the academic side. My advice to other professionals, especially parents is, your biggest obstacle is yourself and your mindset. As a parent you are a leader at home and that needs to show up not only in how you take care of your children but also the example you set for them. This was my motivation; I knew I was charting a course that all my kids could see and learn from, and this resolve kept me going on the toughest days.

How did you manage your time effectively to fulfill both your academic and family commitments during this period? Were there any specific strategies or support systems that played a crucial role in your success?

My family was always first.  In fact, they were the reason why I decided to pursue my MBA. This meant I had to make my studies worth the while. My husband and I quickly realized after the first week of class that we had to change our family routine. We decided to set a schedule for everything including even grocery shopping. We built a detailed timeline to track how we spent each hour of our day. This was to make sure that we made enough time for the academic commitments I had committed to. My husband was my biggest support system and the little ones played a crucial role in accommodating my commitments.  Sometimes he would stay awake just to provide the moral support for me to get through my assignments before retiring to bed. I want to use this opportunity to say, thanks dear.

What kept you motivated to continue with your studies without deferring your courses?

I wanted to teach myself and build a value system for myself which could be my personal reference point. When I first enrolled for my MBA, I was motivated to strive for excellence to set myself up as a role model for my kids, especially my two girls, so even though deferring was an option because I had just given birth on Sunday and had a class on Tuesday, I actually felt I was letting them down If I stopped. To me, with or without delivering, I knew there were challenges and I knew I wasn’t going to stop at anything. I wanted to let my little ones know that you need to write your own story and not let any circumstance define your resolve and funny enough, the excitement of finishing and having something to show for it also kept me motivated. And I must say Dorota, Ann Marie, Peace and Debbie were super supportive saying I could come leave the baby with them if need be (free babysitting by professionals I had just met).

This is family to me, you can only get that at Laurier.

Were there specific moments or experiences that particularly tested your resolve, and how did you overcome them?

During the early days going to class Monday to Friday at 8am to 5pm tested my resolve the most. I wasn’t used to schooling that many hours a day and for that many days a week even my undergraduate wasn’t that intense. I knew this was a challenge of the program when I had applied but going through it especially because I was in my third trimester of pregnancy added to it. How I overcame it? Well, God was faithful to me granting me strength and a safe delivery. I kept going at it because I always reminded myself that within a year I was getting this done.

Do you have a favourite memory from Laurier that you look back on fondly?

Great question and honestly, I have so many of those. My first time in graduate school, first time school outside of my home country, and certainly first time connecting into such a huge community of great people. I enjoyed and cherished every day I shared with my friends and lecturers on campus. It was a unique time for my family and every day was a challenge for me to overcome, and an opportunity to sieze. I was pregnant, we had moved to new city (Waterloo), my three kids at the time were all in new schools and were dealing with making new friends daily and my husband was busy pursuing his career at the same time. We always got home thanking God for another successful day. Sorry I couldn’t pick one, but this is why Laurier holds a special place in my heart. Laurier made it easy for me, all my lecturers and friends were understanding and accommodated my schedule and I am forever thankful.