While his driver’s license may elude him, Ema is thrilled to have his college plans finalized. While back in Ghana, Ema said his mother gets about on foot or by bus, here in Greenwich where a driver’s license is a teen right of passage, Ema cast a hopeful look in Kirkpatrick’s direction when asked if he had learned to drive.Īll-American Game, Ema and Nick Bartels, the captain of the Greenwich High School Soccer team, both in red. With the holidays on their minds, Kirkpatrick had fun teasing Ema about his ability to put away vast quantities of food and guessing how many pumpkin pies the teen would consume. “My team won 2-1,” Ema recalled, adding that he’d played alongside fellow RtD player Daniel Amo and Nick Bartels, now a senior at Greenwich High School. Kirkpatrick said the whole family, which includes Liam and Chase boys (12 and 14) were happy to have Ema at home for the holiday.Įma was hot off a victory in the Soccer All-American game where he scored the winning goal for the East Team with five minutes to spare in the game. He also enjoys video gaming and watching basketball, and had even had a chance to have lunch with Phaethon Bolton who works for the NBA and hails from Greenwich. In fact, he can recite every pumpkin pie he’s made. With the prospect of a few weeks to relax with the Kirkpatricks over the holidays, Ema said he plans to whip up meatloaf, french toast, lasagna and pumpkin pie – the four dishes he has learned to cook in America. “Fries, not cones,” he said of how he likes his “high school special.” “Garden Catering,” he said without hesitation. “It just tasted so different.”Įmmanuel’s eyes light up when he is asked to list his favorite foods after four years in America. I tried a hamburger here,” he said, making a funny face. “In Ghana we eat mostly yams, rice that is spicy – and beans.

He may not have been homesick or lonely, but he did admit that American food delivered a culture shock to the palate. Powers drove me to Kent for the pre-season and I already had a friend there,” Ema said, adding that by the time school started in the fall, he had become friends with his teammates. When his plane landed in America, Ema went to Rye to the home of John Powers, chairman of the board of RtD USA. Though Right to Dream did bring Ema to Manchester, England the Netherlands and to Norway, he hadn’t been to the United States until he secured the spot at Kent School. “The last time I saw my mom was 2012,” said Ema, now 18, who explained that he’s never had a chance to be homesick despite leaving home at 11. “I was fortunate enough to come to Kent School.” “They try to find you connections to prep schools in the US, colleges (high schools) in the UK, or to professional soccer teams in the US,” Ema said. In 2012, the Kirkpatricks were asked by Right to Dream USA to host Emmanuel Twumasi, who had already made his way from Ghana to Connecticut, where he had secured a scholarship to Kent School.Įma playing soccer for Kent School.

The Kirkpatricks connected with Steve and Beje Hirsch, neighbors who were host parents to two of the first boys from Right to Dream on the east coast, Oscar and Bernard, who were attending Kent School. “We were disappointed we couldn’t continue with AFS.”įortunately, the Kirkpatricks learned about Right to Dream (RtD), an organization that provides talented children from all over West Africa with the opportunity to fulfill their potential through soccer, education and character development.

“My parents met each other going to Europe through AFS in 1955,” said Rob Kirkpatrick. Since then, the school district discontinued the exchange program with AFS, but the Kirkpatricks found another way to open their home to an exchange student. The teen spent a year living with the Kirkpatricks and attending Greenwich High School. In 2008, Old Greenwich resident Rob Kirkpatrick and his family hosted a young Muslim AFS exchange student named Simge from Turkey.

Ema twumasi dates joined