A former National Science and Maths Test (NSMQ) contestant, Ningwie Leonard Lanyeli, who was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder 2, spoke about his academic abilities and difficult circumstances.
The 33-year-old achieved an 8 GPA at Ganaa Memorial High School and St. Xavier Senior Seminary.
In a JoyNews report, he left high school, where he was often referred to as “Dr.” Ningwie Leonard Lanyeli, due to his childhood desire to become a doctor.
However, his childhood ambitions went up in smoke after high school when he dropped out.
“I had an aggregate 8 in both my junior high and secondary education. I sometimes get disappointed because I have done it all and nothing came out of it,” Leonard said.
The general science student was admitted to the University of Cape Coast (UCC) to study medicine, but his parents could not afford the tuition.
“I gained admission to read medicine at the University of Cape Coast at the cost of GHC4,100 a year and my father was a teacher who couldn’t afford to pay the fees,” he recalled.
Lanyeli said he chose to learn Optometry (PhD) at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), where he performed distinctively in his first four years.
“You can go to KNUST and check my academic background; I was doing very well until this mental health issue came up,” he said.
According to JoyNews, Lanyeli was a member of the student group that represented Saint Francis Xavier in the 2007 National Science and Math Competition.
His 60-year-old mother, Ninwie Gladys, insists that one of Leonard’s college friends brought him home and he returned with the disease.
“I had a hint that a friend at the university took Leo to his home town and he came back with this condition,” she said.
Lanyeli paused her university studies to receive treatment at Pantang Psychiatric Hospital. He was later diagnosed with bipolar 2 disorder in 2013.
After a successful rehabilitation procedure, Leonard then briefly returned to the institute in 2014 to continue his education. Despite his circumstances, he promises to return to school if given the chance.
