I used to think I was going to be a lawyer like my father. But in Ghana, the West African country where I grew up, education is modeled after the British system. So, if you do well academically, there’s not really much choice in terms of opportunity, particularly in the sciences.

In the sixth form — which is equivalent to the 11th and 12th grades here in the U.S. — you’re either doing the arts, which take you into business or law...