Koffi C. Akakpo
Kentucky State University
Frankfort, KY USA
"Stay true to yourself, believe in yourself, and set your sights on where you want to be."
Career Roadmap
Koffi C.'s work combines: Education, Business, and Teaching / Mentoring
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Managerial Finance
Université de Lomé
Graduate Degree
Managerial Finance
Université de Lomé
Graduate Degree
Business Administration and Management
Ashland University
Graduate Degree
Higher Education Administration
University of Toledo
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
I grew up in Togo, where my father instilled in me the belief that education was non-negotiable—it was the key to changing the world.
2.
I dreamed of becoming a doctor to help people, but after dropping out of medical school, I had to find a new path to make an impact.
3.
Starting over, I earned my undergrad and graduate degrees in managerial finance.
4.
After coming to the U.S., I earned my MBA from Ashland University in Ohio, which led me to corporate roles and later an opportunity in higher education.
5.
My passion for education was ignited at Central State University, where I realized I could change lives beyond the medical field.
6.
I worked in the Ohio state government, but when leadership changed, I was forced to pivot, leading me back to my true calling in higher ed.
7.
I served as president of Bluegrass Community and Technical College before coming full circle to lead Kentucky State University as president.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Myself:
Becoming a medical doctor is the only way to help people.
How I responded:
I've always wanted to help people better themselves and I thought becoming a medical doctor was the only way to do that. I ended up dropping out of medical school because it wasn't right for me. As I continued my journey, I realized there's more than one way to help people. As a university president, my whole job is about helping people and I make an even bigger impact than I would've as a medical doctor. My goal of helping people has remained the same—I just took a different path to get here.