Patience Paul

University of Ilorin

Florida International University, PhD Biomedical Sciences

Patience Ngozi Paul is a 2019 Opportunity Funds Scholar. Patience is a First-Generation student who grew up in Kaduna and graduated from the University of Ilorin with a Bachelors in Microbiology. Patience is now pursuing her Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at Florida International University on a fully-funded assistantship worth ~$50,000 (18 Million Naira) per year. Through the support of the Opportunity Funds Program, Patience received several offers. Her research focus is antimicrobial resistance, along with gynecologic and breast cancer research.

Patrick Bokolo

Federal University of Petroleum Resources Effurun

University of Missouri, Columbia-PhD Chemistry

Patrick Bokolo is a 2019 Opportunity Funds scholar. Patrick is not only the first in his family to graduate university, but he is also now pursuing his Ph.D. in the United States fully funded on an assistantship worth almost $40,000 per annum. Patrick is a First Class graduate of Chemistry from the Federal University Of Petroleum Resources Effurun-FUPRE.. In 2017, he was the first recorded first-class graduate in the Department of Chemistry since the establishment of the university in 2007. As a recent graduate, Patrick already had several international publications. Through the program, Patrick received 3 offers and decided on a Ph.D. program at the University of Missouri-Columbia (Mizzou).

Precious Ukaegbu

Baptist High School Jos

Minerva Schools at KGI

Meet Precious Ukaegbu, a 2019 Opportunity Funds Scholar. Precious spent all her life in Jos until she came to Abuja in 2018 to participate in the Opportunity Funds Program. She received a scholarship worth over $31,000 (11 Million Naira) to pursue her Bachelors at Minerva Schools. She attended Baptist High School Jos and graduated as the overall best graduating student with all distinctions in WAEC. She had represented her school in numerous competitions and had worked part time at an NGO.

Reward graduated from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka where he obtained a B.Sc. Degree in Microbiology with First class honors and held several leadership positions. Eleazar has published scientific articles as both a first author and co-author in national and international journals and also presented in multiple conferences. In 2019, through the guidance and support of the Lagos EducationUSA Opportunity Funds Program, Eleazar secured multiple fully funded offers to pursue a PhD in the U.S. He accepted the offer to do his doctoral program at Wayne State University and his research is focused on the molecular virology of the herpes simplex virus. In his own words: “The OFP program breathed life into my dreams and I will remain forever grateful.”

Sebastine Ogbuka

University of Jos

University of Minnesota Duluth, MSc Physics

Sebastine is a 2019 Opportunity Funds scholar. Through the Opportunity Funds program, Sebastine received an assistantship worth over $16,000 to pursue his Masters in Physics at University of Minnesota. Sebastine worked as a volunteer research assistant at University of Jos

Segun Victor Obisesan

Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko

Auburn University, PhD Chemistry

"I never dreamt I could study outside the shores of Nigeria, but EducationUSA made me believe that you can be anything you want to be. All you need is to dream more, do more, pray more, and believe more because anything is possible."

Segun Victor is a 2019 Opportunity Funds Scholar. Through the EducationUSA Opportunity Funds program, Segun is currently pursuing his Ph.D. fully-funded at Auburn University with an assistantship worth over $66,000 (24 Million Naira)/ year. Segun is a First Class graduate of Chemistry from Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba Akoko Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba - AAUA, where he graduated top of his class. Segun received multiple fully funded Ph.D. offers from top universities in the U.S. But decided to enroll at Auburn University because of its great program. Segun's research focus is photocatalysis and its application to solve environmental contamination.

Sochima-Amaka Ezema grew up in Enugu and attended the University of Nigeria Secondary School, Nsukka where she served as the school’s Head Girl. She graduated as the Salutatorian of the graduating Class of 2017 and was also awarded the Most Prospective Female Engineering Student. She represented her school in competitions such as those organized by the Mathematics Association of Nigeria and National Mathematical Center and she won several awards. Sochima applied to 21 U.S. institutions and was admitted to only one with full funding: Stanford University. She received over $80,000 in funding. She is currently a sophomore at Stanford pursuing a major in Computer Science. She is also the Secretary to the Stanford Undergraduate Senate and Co-President of Stanford Nigerian Students Association. She has worked on two research projects, one of which is to build and implement vine robots to explore the habitat of endangered California Tiger Salamander species. In addition to pursuing her academic and political goals, Sochima is very passionate about fashion. She works for Stanford Center for Professional Development as a Studio Operator for video production and also interns as a Fashion Stylist at MINT magazine where she has styled two photoshoots.

Tochukwu Nwoko

Federal University of Technology Akure

Miami University-Ohio, PhD Chemistry

Tochukwu Praise Nwoko is a 2019 Opportunity Funds Scholar and first-year PhD student at Miami University in Ohio. Through the program, Tochukwu secured a fully-funded offer from Miami University with an assistantship worth over $49000 (18 Million Naira)/year. Tochukwu is a First-Class Graduate of Chemistry from the Federal University of Technology Akure. Tochukwu is a published author in The Journal of Environment Protection and Sustainable development.

Urama Chilotam

University of Nigeria Secondary School, Nsukka

Kalamazoo College

Chilotam Urama is a 2019 EducationUSA Abuja Opportunity Fund Scholar. Through the program, Lotam received over $58,000 to pursue his bachelors at Kalamazoo College. Lotam graduated from the University of Nigeria Secondary School Nsukka. While in school, Lotam excelled academically, held various leadership positions, and was active in his school's Literary and Debating society, Band Club and school football team.

Yeipyeng Kwa

Baptist High School, Jos

Bryn Mawr College

Yeipyeng Kwa is a  2019 Opportunity Funds Scholar. Through EducationUSA, Yeipyeng is currently studying at Bryn Mawr College on a scholarship worth over $75,000 per annum. Yeipyeng took two years to navigate through the process correctly to be successful. Despite her 8As in WAEC and graduating as the overall best student from Baptist High School, Jos, it took more than just excellent academics to get admission and funding to study in the United States. Yeipyeng never gave up; she persisted and worked on her profile and application. Her hard work and determination were rewarded with a fully-funded offer from Bryn Mawr.

Yvonne graduated with First Class Honors from the University of Lagos, where she studied Chemical Engineering. As an undergraduate, she was an outstanding student who won several awards, including the Delta State Scholarship, ExxonMobil Scholarship and the University of Lagos Endowment Fund. She also worked briefly with ExxonMobil as a Process Engineer during which she was selected as an EducationUSA Lagos Opportunity Funds Scholar. Yvonne obtained a fully funded scholarship worth over $84,000 to pursue her PhD in Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis. She graduated with a First Class in Chemical Engineering from the University of Lagos. Speaking about her experience with EducationUSA, she said, ‘’EducationUSA taught me that incorporating drive, discipline and determination into everything we do, leads to success’’.

Ajibola Lawal

Federal University of Technology Minna

University of Massachusetts, Amherst, PhD Chemical Engineering

 Ajibola Lawal is a 2018 Opportunity Funds Scholars. Through the Opportunity Funds Program, Ajibola secured over $60,000/year in funding to pursue his PhD in Chemical Engineering at UMass Amherst.

Ajibola Lawal is a First Class graduate of Chemical Engineering from Federal University of Technology, Minna (FUTMINNA) Niger State. At FUTMinna, he was a recipient of the Agbami Engineering Scholarship Award. Apart from excelling academically, he was the assistant course representative and a tutor for freshman year courses. While at FUTMinna, he led a team that designed and fabricated a pyrolysis reactor for the conversion of agricultural waste to biochar.

Through the Opportunity Funds Program, Ajibola got a Deans fellowship to pursue his doctoral studies. He serves as a researcher at The Institute of Massachusetts Biofuel Research.

Akintonde Abbas

Obafemi Awolowo University

University of North Carolina at Charlotte, PhD Electrical and Computer Engineering

Akintonde is a 2018 Opportunity Funds scholar. Through the OFP program, Akintonde received $43,400 to pursue his PhD at University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Akintonde lost his dad when he was still very young. His mother, a primary school teacher, singlehandedly catered for the needs of the family. He was able to pay his way through school through the MTN Foundation scholarship. Even as a fresh graduate, Akintonde already had an international publication to his name.

Ayodeji Israel Aina

University of Ilorin

California State University-Long Beach, MSc Geology

Ayodeji is a 2018 Opportunity Funds scholar. Through the Opportunity Funds program, Ayodeji received an assistantship worth over $20,000 to pursue his Masters in Geology at California State University, Long Beach.

Ayodeji is the president was the student president of the American Association of Petroleum Geologist (AAPG) California State University Long Beach Chapter. His research is on Chemostratigraphic and Lithostratigraphic Characterization of the Lower to Middle Miocene Monterey Formation-Equivalent Strata of Long Beach Oil Field.

Basil Gaji

Mount Saint Gabriel Secondary School, Makurdi

University of Rochester

Basil is a 2018 opportunity funds scholar. Through the program Basil secured over $75,000/year to pursue his bachelors in Engineering at University of Rochester. Basil was the 2^nd best graduating student at Mount Saint Gabriel Secondary School in Makurdi, Benue State Basil was the 1^st place winner of the MAN Math competition, Silver medalist, Rubik Cube contest, Cowbell, and Olympiad Math competitions for the State.

Basil is currently at University of Rochester pursuing his Bachelors in Electrical and Computer Engineering. Basil serves as Newman's Sacristan. When not being a "jack of all trades" at Newman, he can be found working for University IT, riding his bike, or hanging out with friends.