2024 - Meet Lesley Kwarteng

Elgin Community College student Lesley Kwarteng of Elgin said he was a curious child, always asking questions and raising his hand in the classroom. Unexpectedly, a skinned knee when he was younger led to his passion for chemistry, as he questioned what ointments his mom was putting on the injury and why they would help him heal.

“Chemistry is all about understanding the whys and the what ifs,” Kwarteng said. “I really like knowing things and finding the answers.” 

Originally from Gana, Africa, Kwarteng moved to the U.S. in 2022, enrolling at ECC in the spring semester.

The college has been a catalyst for change in his life, he said. “I’ve grown as a person at ECC because I’ve gotten to do so many things I probably wouldn’t be able to do,” Kwarteng said. 

Throughout his two years as a Spartan, he has immersed himself in musical theatre at ECC, explored art and drawing courses, and is a member of the performing arts club and fiber arts club.

In August 2023, he joined the student workforce, securing a position in Admissions, an opportunity that’s allowed Kwarteng to meet new people and help others at the college.

Kwarteng excitedly wraps up his final semester at ECC, looking forward to walking the commencement stage in May. Unsure of what’s next, he aims to pursue his passion for chemistry and transfer somewhere in Illinois so he can remain close to his family.

Read on and get to know the many elements that makeup Kwarteng!

Share one thing you do outside of ECC. One thing I’ve been getting into that’s outside of ECC is crocheting. I’ve been trying to make my own clothes. It’s pretty fun once you know the basics and make something up from scratch.

What’s your favorite social media channel and why? I know it’s a popular answer among college students, but I do like TikTok because I get to see everything that’s for me. If I don’t like something, I can just click not interested, and I won’t see something like that again. Because of that I’ve been exposed to a lot of perspectives. I get to see new riffs to try for musical theatre, new designs for crocheting, and things like that. I get to see everything new, and I like that.

What did you want to be when you were growing up? Fun fact — I wanted to be a postman. I told my dad, and he was like, ‘Maybe we’re gonna dream bigger,’ but I always wanted to be a postman just delivering mail and parcels and things like that.

What’s one thing that really makes your day? Meeting people. Here in admissions and recruitment, we get lots of questions, and it’s always fun to gather all the information and figure out where to send people and help them. After that, people are so happy they’ve gotten the help they need.

Shout out an ECC staff member or peer! I’d like to shout out Isabella! It’s so fun to work with her, and also Jake. We all work together, and it’s so fun pulling ideas from each other. For faculty I’d like to shout out Dr. Daily. He’s my chemistry professor, and he’s such a wonderful teacher. Also, Mark and Doug, our musical theatre directors. They’ve really helped me grow in musical theatre.