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In Akwasi Boateng's world, everyone deserves an equal
chance.
Success&emdash;or failure&emdash;is there for the
taking.
"I'm not here to judge what others might say about a
person," says Boateng, a manager in Food and Nutrition
Services at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. "I'll
give people a chance if they want it."
Boateng knows a lot about chances and opportunities. A
native of Ghana, he earned a master's degree in physical
education at Northwest Missouri State University, then made
plans to continue his education at The University of
Iowa.
"I didn't have any money so I decided to get work while
taking a few classes," he says. "That's how I got my job.
Even though I had a college degree, I had no experience in
the nutrition field. Joan Dolezal (now director of Food and
Nutrition Services) hired me. She helped me a lot and told
me what I had to do to succeed."
Today, Boateng supervises 55 food workers and 35
sanitation workers. Along the way, he has provided
opportunities for many others&emdash;especially homeless
people and refugees.
"Some of the people I hired have worked out and some
haven't," he says. "But I have given many people a chance to
work and get their feet on the ground."
Boateng's commitment to diversity in the workplace
includes counseling staff members on cultural and social
issues, helping newcomers enroll in English classes,
scheduling work times so employees can attend classes to
further educate themselves, assisting with visas and green
card applications, and using personal time to drive staff
members to specific destinations.
For his efforts, Boateng was a co-recipient of the 2001
Catalyst Award given by the University of Iowa Office of
Affirmative Action to honor creative initiatives that make a
difference in the building of an inclusive, diverse
community.
Fittingly, the person who nominated him was Joan Dolezal,
who gave Boateng a chance 22 years ago when she hired
him.
"Akwasi certainly deserves this award," Dolezal says. "He
is the epitome of an outstanding individual who creates and
teaches respect for diversity on a daily basis."
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