When 17 year old Tyrone Marghuy attended his Junior High School Graduation Ceremony in March 2021, he and his family had little idea that within just a few short weeks, he would become one of the most recognised young men in Ghana.
Even today, 3 years on, Tyrone’s story continues to capture the imagination of Ghanaians of every age. He is recognised in Ghana almost everywhere he goes; the type of visibility normally reserved only for footballers, popstars or high-ranking political figures. And yet, Tyrone has spent almost all of the last 6 years with his head-down, focused on his school work. So how could this be?
The story begins as Tyrone began to prepare for Senior High School. Tyrone had graduated from Rising’s Ablekuma School on the outskirts of Greater Accra with an outstanding academic record, achieving the highest grades possible in the national BECE exams (taken at the end of Junior High School). This had earned him a place at one of Ghana’s most prestigious Senior High Schools: Achimota School, a public boarding school renowned for its high-academic standards.
But things took an unexpected turn when Tyrone was controversially denied admission due to his appearance. The problem: Tyrone was a Rastafarian and wore dreadlocks.
Achimota deemed Tyrone's dreadlocks as a violation of their Code of Conduct, rules that went back as far as 1927. However, for Tyrone and his family, these dreadlocks were not merely a fashion statement but an integral part of their religious identity. What followed was a clash between institutional rules and an individual's right to express their cultural and religious beliefs.
The incident hit the front pages and sparked a national debate that ran for months. Were Achimota right to uphold their longstanding rules? Or were these rules antiquated and not fit for purpose in age more sensitive to cultural and religious inclusivity?
As the case escalated in the press and the courts, the pressure mounted on Achimota School to relook at their decision. Eventually, the school made a pivotal U-turn. Tyrone enrolled into the school in June 2021. That was the good news.
The bad news was that there was only 7 days of the first semester remaining when Tyrone arrived on campus, and he was welcomed with the news that he and his peers would be writing 11 exam papers over the coming days. Exam paper 1 was already on the table as started his first lesson. He may have finally secured his place, but life wasn’t about to get any easier.
Tyrone’s positive outlook and work ethic helped him adapt to life at boarding school, but he admits that it wasn’t easy:
“When people ask me about what I went through, I don’t want to tell them the reality of how hard it’s been, because then they won’t believe that they can do something like this themselves. I also don’t want to tell them it’s been easy either. On many days I worked for 20 hours a day.”
By September of 2023, Tyrone was making headlines again. He had not only overcome significant obstacles to graduate from Ghana’s most famous school, but he had done so with straight A’s; topping the class in Science and elective Maths.
On Wednesday 7th February 2024, we were delighted to make Tyrone the recipient of our first ever Rising Alumni of the Year prize, presenting him with the award at the Movenpick Hotel in Accra. Tyrone was chosen not only because of his outstanding academic achievements but because of his bravery, a key principle of Rising’s Values. At Rising, we do what’s right, even when it’s difficult or daunting. When others step back, we step up.
Tyrone joins the Rising Team to receive the Rising Alumni of the Year Award. Pictured from left to right: George Cowell, CSO, Isaac Armar Head of Strategy and Operations, Tyrone Marghuy, Afua Dogbatsey, Head of Partnerships, Victor Kpentey, MD Ghana Private Schools, and Paul Skidmore, CEO.
That same day, Tyrone spoke at Rising’s 10–year anniversary celebration as part of the Global Schools Forum Annual Conference. It was a platform that gave him the chance to speak with an audience of educators that support schools working with 20 million young people across 60 countries. Tyrone spoke of the immense challenges and sadness he’d felt in those months before enrolling at Achimota, but that the pain and sacrifices he and his family had made during that time had been well worth it.
Tyrone making his speech at the Global School Forum Annual Conference, Accra.
Tyrone hasn’t stood still since leaving Senior High School. He is currently using his time to learn Computer Engineering and has applications submitted to a number of top universities in the US, including: Harvard, MIT,Princeton and Brown.
Following the event, Rising’s CEO Paul Skidmore said, “Tyrone Marhguy is a remarkable young man with a remarkable story. Almost everyone in Ghana knows it, and before long I'm sure the rest of the world will too. It was an honour and a delight to recognise his achievement as an alumnus of our schools in Ghana and to listen to his fantastic speech”.
Tyrone at the GSF Annual Conference, with his mum, twin sisters, and Alex Fallon, Rising’s Chief Academic Officer.
Whatever path Tyrone chooses, we can’t wait to see his next steps. He is and will continue to be an inspiration to young people across Ghana, and we are proud to call him an Alumni of our schools.