Page 11 - Endowment Report 2022 | University of Rochester

Reaching for the

stars and beyond:

Fredricka Amoah ’26

BYRD AND EVA WALLER SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT

Fredricka Amoah ’26 has always dreamed big. When “When I applied to Rochester, I was thinking pre-med
she was a little girl, she aspired to be a doctor and or maybe engineering,” she says. “But then I saw an
even the president of the United States—she wanted optics demo, which was given by a teaching assistant, and
something sparked in me—I never even knew what optics
to do something that would help people and make
was and now I want to know everything about it.”
their lives better. Her mother encouraged her aspirations,
often reminding all five of her children to do their best, have During the fall semester, Amoah took classes in calculus,
far-reaching goals, and never forget where they came from. chemistry, writing, and optics--that was her favorite. In her
optics lab, she learned how light can affect objects. For instance,
Amoah’s roots extend from New York City to West Africa. in one assignment, Amoah and her classmates used a laser-
She was born in the Bronx, where she spent most of her cutting machine to etch the Meliora symbol onto a glass surface.
childhood and teenage years. Between the ages of five and Experiences like these are affirming Amoah’s career aspirations.
nine, though, her family moved to Ghana, where her mother “Someday, I’d like to either build telescopes for NASA or
is from and where her aunts, uncles, and grandparents still live. work for Apple designing cameras for iPhones,” she adds.
Amoah loved it there and returned often for extended visits.
Outside of class, Amoah stays busy. She likes playing pickup
Over the years, Amoah has heeded her mother’s advice games of volleyball with her friends, studying in her secret spot
about education. She’s worked hard and consistently inside Rush Rhees Library, and working on assignments with
earned excellent grades. She was even valedictorian of classmates in the Barbara J. Burger iZone. Amoah is also part
her high school. When it came time for college, her of the Optics Student Council and the Pan-African Students
principal, Liz Runco ’05, told her about Rochester and its Association, which is focused on building and growing a diverse
rigorous academic program. She liked what she heard. and accepting culture at Rochester. The Office of Minority
Amoah is now a first-year student here and the recipient of Student Affairs has been helpful to her, too, providing her with
the Byrd and Eva Waller Scholarship. This is awarded to a resources as well as a community of like-minded people who
deserving student who maintains an excellent academic standing support and can relate to her academic and life experiences.
and requires financial assistance. She is planning to major in Amoah credits her scholarship for making so much happen for
optics, a field she learned about during a pre-college summer her. “I’m incredibly grateful to Ms. Waller,” Amoah says. “It’s
program offered through the University’s Early Connections humbling and inspiring knowing that someone who didn’t even
Opportunity program. know me wanted to invest in my future. Someday, I hope to
extend my hand to a student just like she has done for me.”

Generosity provides transformational support to the Institute of Optics

In the fall of 2022, University of Rochester Life Trustee all creating a lasting impact on students such as Amoah. The
James C. Wyant ’67 (MS), ’69 (PhD), ’21 (Honorary) and his challenge aims to increase the institute’s faculty by 50 percent
wife, Tammy Wyant, established a $12 million professorship and further advance its preeminent position in the field of optics.
challenge to support the Institute of Optics. The Wyant Optics Specifically, the Wyant Optics Challenge will create 10 endowed
Challenge will help set the course for the institute’s continued professorships, with most of the appointments expected to occur
growth, groundbreaking research, leadership, and scholarship— by the institute’s 100th-anniversary celebration in 2029.

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