In a contest that brought together 92 senior high schools from across the Ashanti Region, Our Lady of Grace Senior High School, Mamponteng, stood tall — earning its place among Ghana’s academic elite in the Ashanti Regional edition of the National Science and Maths Quiz (NSMQ), organised by Primetime Ghana.
Only twelve years since its founding, Our Lady of Grace SHS is proving that excellence is not a matter of age, but of vision, preparation, and perseverance. From the early rounds to the tense moments of the finals, the school demonstrated not only sharp intellect but unshakable tenacity.
In a fiercely contested quarter-final, Our Lady of Grace faced off against Amaniampong SHS, St. Louis SHS, and Yaa Asantewaa Girls’ SHS. Summiting to a dramatic tie-breaker with Amaniampong SHS, the event concluded with Our Lady of Grace surmounting the peak of the competition — a moment that captured the grit and composure of a team unfazed by pressure.
In the semi-finals, they were once again the underdogs — up against Prempeh College, Kumasi Academy, and Anglican SHS, Kumasi. But with clarity, confidence, and teamwork, Our Lady of Grace triumphed, defeating all three and securing a place in the regional finals.
The final contest saw them face Opoku Ware School and Kumasi Academy — two academic powerhouses with decades of competition experience. Still, the students from Mamponteng stood firm, holding their ground and finishing as first runner-up, a remarkable achievement in just over a decade of the school’s existence.
At the heart of this campaign were two exceptional students — Cecil Tuglo and Raphael Mawuli Fayose — whose quick thinking, computational precision, and strategic answering lit up every stage throughout the course of the tournament. Together, they carried the spirit of their school with humility and brilliance.
Luck had no part to play in their marathon of success. It was shaped by the unwavering commitment of their coaches, whose input behind-the-scenes— crafting strategy, drilling concepts, and provoking mental toughness — bore fruit when it mattered most. This victory is not just a win for Our Lady of Grace. It is a signal that the future of STEM education in Ghana is expanding — emerging from every prospect, including Mamponteng.
As the curtain falls on this year’s Ashanti Regional NSMQ, one thing is clear: Our Lady of Grace Senior High School is not just a mere participant, rather an embodiment of pacesetters marking milestones along an endless journey of excellence; for beyond the roads of improvement there is no destination.
Gabriel Egbefome
2 Science 4
