segun aderibigbe
2023 Beneficiary
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segun aderibigbe
2023 Beneficiary
Segun holds a Bachelor's Degree in Animal Science from the University of Ibadan, where he graduated with First Class Honours. Following his selection as an EducationUSA Opportunity Funds Scholar, Segun became exposed to what it takes to land a graduate scholarship in the USA. With the unmatched guidance of advisers, numerous available resources, and motivation from EducationUSA, Segun secured a fully funded Master's Degree offer in the Department of Biology (Biotechnology Track) at Georgia State University. He currently serves as a Graduate Teaching Assistant.
temilola olowolayemo
2023 Beneficiary
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temilola olowolayemo
2023 Beneficiary
Temilola Victor Olowolayemo is a well-rounded and accomplished student who has blazed trails both in his academic work and otherwise.
Through his High School years, Temilola participated in intra- and inter-school competitions, where he excelled as a(n) orator, debater, and mathematician. He made it to the second stage of the South African Mathematics Olympiad twice in Junior School. To further confirm his academic and intellectual prowess, he was recognized as the top of the school from the second trimester of JSS1 to the second trimester of SSS1 when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, having average percentages over 90%.
Shortly after resuming his new High School in 2020, his dynamic leadership traits were quickly noticed. He was appointed the President of the prestigious JETS club, a position he held until he graduated. As an individual who has always maintained high academic excellence, he carved his name deep into the sands of time of his alma mater, graduating as the Head boy and doubling as the Valedictorian of the class of 2022, where he demonstrated exemplary leadership and people management skills. In his final high school year, he scored 321 and had 5 A1s, 3Bs, and 1 C4 in UTME and WASSCE, respectively, thus achieving the highest mark in the UTME ever scored by anyone from his school, Daystar College. Additionally, he collaborated with his physics and IT instructors to develop an Excel worksheet model to computerize his school's termly results filing system.
In his final High School year, Temilola was encouraged to apply for the EducationUSA Opportunity Funds Program (OFP) by his Physics teacher. Although, at the moment, that seemed like a path that wasn’t very clear to him, he took on the challenge and applied. He was ecstatic when he got the email that he was selected for an Interview in July 2022 and all the more when he was eventually chosen as one of 14 OFP scholars from a pool of 8,000 applicants. Temilola is currently a native of the Community Innovation Hub, where he keeps himself up-to-date with innovations in Tech and works to achieve the SDGs. He also works for his mother’s publishing business, LOLOLA Educational Services, where he designs books for preschoolers. As a student who has been faced with threats of losing access to education and who has also experienced the downsides of lack of access to learning opportunities and Tech resources, he is an advocate for Sustainable Development Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
He hopes to work with a team of like-minded individuals to bridge the digital divide in Africa. He also hopes to research the inter-relativity of humans and machines while learning about the Internet of Things (IoT) with the end goal of building Wearable andro-humanoid robot parts and making them accessible to those who suffer from Poliomyelitis in his home country, Nigeria.
It is not all books for Temilola. As a member of his church, Triumphant Word Christian Centre, Temilola works in the Technical Department/Media, where he works with other team members to ensure a seamless flow of the technical aspects of church services.
A lover of unconventional paths and an aspiring global citizen, Temilola, with the help and assistance he got from the OFP, will study Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence and take a double major in Physics at Minerva University, on maximum need-based financial aid, where he will experience global immersion in seven metropolitan cities around the world. Temilola believes strongly that if it’s conceivable, then it’s achievable.
tobiloba awoyemi
2023 Beneficiary
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tobiloba awoyemi
2023 Beneficiary
My name is Awoyemi Tobiloba, and today I'd like to share a story of dreams, opportunities, and hope. My journey towards furthering my education has been filled with challenges, primarily due to limited resources. Like many others, I often found myself blaming external factors for my predicament. I aspired to reach the pinnacle of my studies with a Ph.D. in Chemistry, but it felt like a distant dream. I encountered setbacks when applying to graduate schools, receiving rejection letters that, in a somewhat ironic way, praised the competitiveness of my application while denying me admission. However, amidst these disappointments, a ray of hope emerged – EducationUSA.
The turning point in my application journey came through the EducationUSA boot camp. Listening to the stories of other scholars who had successfully navigated the application process filled me with determination. I absorbed their insights and applied them to my approach, realizing that I had been doing it wrong all along.
Moreover, the news of my selection for the Opportunity Funds program was a moment of pure joy and renewed hope. It was about more than just financial support; it offered guidance and training that paved the way for me to pursue my educational dreams. Thanks to EducationUSA and the Opportunity Funds program, I received not one but eight fully funded Ph.D. offers. Now, I proudly stand before you as a Ph.D. student at Purdue University.
In conclusion, I'd like to say, "Go EduUSA!" This program has the incredible power to transform lives and open doors that once appeared permanently closed. It's a testament to the profound impact that education and opportunity can have on an individual's journey.
Thank you EducationUSA!
victor olayemi
2023 Beneficiary
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victor olayemi
2023 Beneficiary
Victor Olayemi is a first-class graduate of Consumer Sciences (Food, Nutrition, and Dietetics) from Obafemi Awolowo University, (OAU), Ile-Ife. His passion for community nutrition programs made him volunteer with the Maternal and Child Resource Initiative on Breastfeeding (MaCRIB), where he gained first-hand experience of community engagement to promote behavioral change.
He was one of the successful recipients of the EducationUSA opportunity funds program (OFP) for the 2022/2023 cohort. Through the mentorship provided by EducationUSA, He got a fully funded offer for his Ph.D. program in Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise from Virginia Tech.
yetunde mabadeje
2023 Beneficiary
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yetunde mabadeje
2023 Beneficiary
Yetunde Mabadeje holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education and Biology from Lagos State University, Ojo. She graduated as the best graduating student of the Department of Science and Technology and the Faculty of Education. She was also the second-best overall graduating student at Lagos State University in the 2020/2021 academic session obtaining many notable awards.
She is highly motivated and passionate about simplifying learning for students, which has engineered her actions toward improving learning strategies over the years. From teaching students at different academic levels to organizing tutorials for her coursemates and juniors with a 99% success rate, Yetunde’s ever-burning passion for influencing the Education space in Nigeria and Africa at large continues to be evident based on these results. All these culminated in her interest to further dive into the Education space.
She was selected as one of the 27 successful recipients of the EducationUSA opportunity funds program for the 2022/2023 cohort. Despite lacking prior knowledge of navigating the graduate school application process, she underwent less than a year of intensive training and mentorship by EducationUSA advisors and alumni. This preparation equipped her with the necessary skills to successfully complete the application process. As a result, Yetunde secured a fully funded direct Ph.D. offer in the form of a Research assistantship at the University of Iowa. Her field of study is Learning Sciences and Educational Psychology, with a research focus on how science teachers can create engaging and transformative learning environments. Specifically, she aims to explore how leveraging students' lived experiences, and intersections with other disciplines, interests, tools, representations, and contexts can enhance learning and retention. Her research approach will primarily involve qualitative data analysis.
EducationUSA serves as a valuable resource for aspiring graduate and undergraduate students, providing them with reliable information and necessary training to successfully navigate the challenges of the application process. Additionally, EducationUSA equips students with essential skills to excel in American Educational Institutions at both the graduate and undergraduate levels, so, please go through the rigor of training and applications for you to come out as Gold. I look forward to seeing you in the United States soon!
abayomi emmanuel adegboyega
2022 Beneficiary
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abayomi emmanuel adegboyega
2022 Beneficiary
Abayomi Emmanuel Adegboyega earned a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Biochemistry from Adekunle Ajasin University and the University of Jos, respectively, where he graduated as one of the top students in his field.
As an undergraduate, he was President of the Departmental Fellowship and the All-Christian Campus Fellowship. While serving as president, he organized numerous seminars, training/workshops, tutorials, and outreaches, earning him a certificate of excellence. During his mandatory one-year service to the country (National Youth Service Corps – NYSC), he led a team of corp members to write and compile study materials for use by corp members across the country as the Plateau State and National Bible Study Secretary with the Nigeria Christian Corper's Fellowship.
Abayomi concentrated on scientific research and invention during his master's program, and his contribution to scientific knowledge has been exceptional since then. In biochemistry, bioinformatics, and computational biology, he has initiated and contributed to several research projects worldwide. Abayomi has led a team of researchers to organize over ten scientific research workshops and seminars (virtual and in-person) on computer-aided drug design for students and faculty from various universities across Nigeria and around the world in the last two years. His active involvement in research has earned him a certificate of excellence from Chrisland University in Abeokuta, Nigeria, as well as recognition among Nigerian researchers.
Abayomi is also a scholar with the EducationUSA Opportunity Funds Program. He applied for the program in 2021 and emerged as one of 34 successful applicants from over 2,500 applicants. Purdue University offered him a fully financed doctoral degree in Biological Sciences, with an emphasis on Structural Biology, Biophysics, and computational Biology.
Abayomi is also a certified project manager and human resource manager, among other things. In Jos, Nigeria, he is the Chief Executive Officer of the Jaris Computational Biology Centre.
adams ayoola familusi
2022 Beneficiary
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adams ayoola familusi
2022 Beneficiary
Adams Familusi is the first of the three offspring of Mr Samson & Mrs Yemisi Familusi. He holds a bachelor of engineering degree in Civil Engineering from the Nigeria’s leading University of Technology, Federal University of Technology Akure. He completed his undergraduate studies with a first-class, the second-best graduating student of his department in 2019, and won several awards, such as the Federal Government Scholarship Award. During his undergraduate studies, he was aware of his academic prowess and teaching ability. Therefore he did not limit this ability to only his academic pursuit; he volunteered to help his colleagues by simplifying challenging courses for them via organized tutorial classes which he believed would help curtail or shun the habit of exam malpractice. In 2016 while on campus, to satisfy his passion for helping and imparting knowledge, especially to the younger ones, he volunteered with Teens Hub Africa by going for outreaches to enlighten teenagers in secondary schools on the power of a disciplined life and the need to value education (SDG 4).
He developed an interest in a civil engineering specialization- Geotechnical Engineering in his fourth year and led the geotechnical engineering student research group in 2019. As a firm believer in the phrase “Knowledge without consistent practice is useless”, he was committed to undergoing several engineering internships. Furthermore, after graduation, he worked as a geotechnical engineer with Arup, Nigeria, where adroit geotechnical engineers trained him. His work experience further strengthened his admiration for academia when he realized the interconnection and interdependencies between academic research and engineering practice. He resolved that engineering solutions are there to solve engineering problems built on proven research outputs. In contrast, his research is continuously carried out to provide more befitting and optimized engineering solutions.
To achieve his goal of joining academia, furthering his studies, and becoming a professor of geotechnics, he applied for admissions and scholarships in different schools of interest in the United States of America. During the process, he applied to several organizations that support students who are financially incompetent in pursuing their dreams of studying in the US. He won the I-Scholar Initiative scholarship, which paid for his GRE and TOEFL and provided guidance during his application process.
He also got selected among the 35 successful candidates out of over 2500 applicants for the EducationUSA Opportunity Funds Program for the 2021/2022 cohort after his second trial. Through the financial help and mentorship program of EducationUSA, he successfully passed all the hurdles of getting into a graduate school with fully funded admission in the US. He received a fully funded admission from the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, where he is currently carrying out research funded by the NSF in a topical area of “Engineered Water Repellency”. During this PhD program, Adams hopes to contribute to the body of knowledge and develop new methodologies for geotechnics designs that will leverage future technological advantages for efficient and cost-effective implementation.
aderiyike faniyan
2022 Beneficiary
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aderiyike faniyan
2022 Beneficiary
Aderiyike Faniyan is a graduate chemical engineer (BSc. First Class Hons) from the University of Lagos. During her undergraduate studies, she also served as an executive in the Redeemed Christian Fellowship (Unilag Chapter). She was a beneficiary of the MTN Foundation scholarship and the University of Lagos Endowment Award while in the University of Lagos. In 2022, she was selected for the EducationUSA Opportunity Funds Program as one of the 30 successful applicants out of a pool of over 2500 applications from all over Nigeria, scoring a 327 on GRE. Aderiyike will be attending the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in Fall 2022 fully funded Ph.D. program in Chemical Engineering with a focus on energy and sustainability. She looks forward to schooling in one of the best chemical engineering graduate programs and is the #1 recipient of research funding from the National Science Foundation in the US.
Being selected for the EducationUSA OFP was a God-sent and I’m so grateful for my fellow scholars and the invaluable support from the EducationUSA advisers. She believes and advises all to “Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.” – Saint Augustine
adewale babatunde
2022 Beneficiary
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adewale babatunde
2022 Beneficiary
Adewale Babatunde completed his bachelor's degree at the University of Lagos, where he studied Petroleum & Gas Engineering and graduated with a First-Class CGPA of 4.90/5.00 and as the second-best graduating student in his class. He won several undergraduate scholarships and awards, including the MTN Foundation Scholarship, PTDF Undergraduate Scholarship, Shell SPDC Scholarship, and so on. He served as the General Secretary of the University of Lagos Chapter of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, which catered to student members across several departments in the university. He was part of the team that won the global Team Total "Innovate" Grant competition in 2018. He was also one of 60 high-achieving individuals selected across Africa into the Scholars Program at the Nigerian University of Technology and Management.
Adewale has proceeded to Cornell University for his PhD in Chemical Engineering with a research focus on semiconductor nanoparticles and their applications in the fabrication of optoelectronic devices such as solar cells.
ayomikun kade
2022 Beneficiary
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ayomikun kade
2022 Beneficiary
Ayomikun Kade earned a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Science degree in Microbiology from the prestigious University of Lagos, graduating as one of the best students with both degrees. Due to his stellar academic prowess, he was retained as a Graduate Assistant at the department of Microbiology and eventually promoted to Assistant Lecturer. He is a member of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) (Global Outreach-Contributing membership level) and the Nigerian Society for Microbiology (NSM) Nigeria. He is also a member of the Science Education Alliance-Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES) research team.
Ayomikun Kade is an EducationUSA Opportunity Funds Program scholar. He applied for the program in 2021 and was among the 34 successful applicants selected out of over 2,500 candidates who completed an application. Ayomikun secured a fully-funded offer from Purdue University where is presently undertaking a Doctoral program in Biological Sciences. His research area is on Microbiology, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases.
balogun toheeb
2022 Beneficiary
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balogun toheeb
2022 Beneficiary
Balogun Toheeb is a first-class graduate of Biochemistry from Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba (AAUA), where he graduated with a GPA of 4.76/5.00. Toheeb interned at one of the leading bioscience laboratories in sub-Saharan Africa (the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture Ibadan), where he acquired molecular biology and bioinformatics skills. He also interned at the Centre for Bio-computing and Drug Development (AAUA), where he earned bioinformatics and computational biology skillsets.
Toheeb has presented at scientific conferences and received numerous awards and scholarships. He received a travel fellowship to attend the 2nd Nigerian Bioinformatics and Genomics Network Conference (NBGN). His oral presentation at the 2nd NBGN conference was awarded the best. Similarly, he won a scholarship to attend the 2nd scientific conference organized by the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research. He also got selected for the prestigious Lower Saxony International Summer Academy (Virtual) organized by Hannover Biomedical Research School Germany. He had the opportunity to present his undergraduate thesis and learn about immunotherapy and infectious diseases. He has published over 15 research articles in top scholarly journals with international recognition and collaborations. Toheeb is a certified reviewer for prestigious journals, including Elsevier (Computers in Biology and Medicine), SAGE (Cancer Informatics and Bioinformatics & Biology Insights) and SpringerNature (Bulletin of National Research Centre)
Toheeb was selected as one of the 34 successful applicants out of over 2500 applicants for the EducationUSA Opportunity Funds Programs 2021. Under the guidance of EducationUSA mentorship, he secured multiple fully funded PhD offers in R1 research universities such as Carnegie Mellon University and the University of California San Diego (UCSD). He received Lynn Fellowship for Purdue University PhD program, a Rutgers University PhD fellowship and the Rutgers Molecular Biosciences excellence award. As a top PhD applicant at UCSD, he was offered the prestigious Shurl and Kay Curci Foundation PhD Scholarship and a 6-year guaranteed campus housing. He is currently at the University of California San Diego for his PhD program in Biological Sciences. Toheeb is interested in molecular pharmacology and structural biology, especially in developing small molecules to treat metabolic disorders.
He hopes to harness biophysical techniques to elucidate protein structures and their metabolic functions and to develop novel drug candidates against such therapeutic targets.
blessed chukwuemeka oguh
2022 Beneficiary
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blessed chukwuemeka oguh
2022 Beneficiary
Blessed Chukwuemeka Oguh is a first-class graduate of Industrial Chemistry from the Department of Chemistry, University Of Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. Blessed excelled in his academics and the several leadership positions he held at the university. As academic committee chairperson of the student chemical society (SCSN), he organised a team of tutors whose tutorial activities greatly improved student performance in the 2017/2018 session upon evaluation and comparison. As secretary, he also successfully managed the SCSN UNIJOS student Chemical week in 2017. Blessed was elected president of the student Polymer institute, SPIN UNIJOS Chapter 2018. As president, the institute was revamped for better inclusion and student participation in industrial visits. While on the National Youths Service Program, NYSC, in 2019-2020, Blessed served as a graduate assistant lecturer in the department of science laboratory technology at Zamfara College of Arts and Sciences. During this time, he enjoyed mentoring his students and helping them meet their coursework requirements. These experiences spurred his interest in Academia and the Chemical industry as he began applications for his graduate studies program.
Blessed is an EducationUSA Opportunity Funds Program (OFP) scholar. He was selected as one of the 34 successful applicants out of over 2500 applicants in 2021. Under the guidance of EducationUSA, he secured several fully funded offers for his PhD program. At the moment, he is at Wayne State University for his PhD (Chemistry) program. Blessed is interested in physical and materials chemistry, especially the relationship between materials synthesis, structure and properties at the atomic and molecular scale, and the thermodynamics of physical systems. He intends to develop reactor systems with adequate and sustainable clean energy sources and material feedstock for production process optimization.
bola pius odunaro
2022 Beneficiary
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bola pius odunaro
2022 Beneficiary
Bola Pius Odunaro came from a village in Ogun State where educating a child or sending a child to school is not a practice. At a tender age, he was introduced to farming, the stable lifestyle of his people. When he was five years old, his aunty took him away from the village and insisted that he must follow her to Ekiti where he will have some exposure to a community primary school. Growing up was tough because I could remember they didn’t want to invest in my education because I came from a village. They only wanted me to know how to read and write. When I was in primary six, I made up my mind to go to secondary school after primary school. Attending the school of my choice was stressful but with all these challenges I was able to finish my secondary education and proceeded to a higher institution.
Going through the higher institution was a tough challenge as I had no one ahead of me as a mentor. Had to work for 2years in Lagos as an attendant in a hotel to save for school. I was opportune to be admitted for ND (National Diploma) where I graduated with upper credit in Mechanical Engineering with a GPA of 3.13/4.0. After the program applied for a Higher National Degree program where I graduated with distinction and was the second-best student in Mechanical Engineering with a GPA of 3.71/4.0 at Yabatech. After my completing my master's program i graduated with a first class in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Ibadan with a GPA of 6.7/7.0 (3.85/4.0).
My dream of becoming a professor and a researcher made me look for opportunities for a Ph.D. abroad. I didn’t know how to about it but met some people on Linked In who provided me with some information and tips about it. And finally, I heard about EducationUSA and the opportunity funds program, I applied for the program and was selected as an OFP scholar. Fast forward to now, my dream is being actualized. I thank God I didn’t give up when things are tough. "I always believe tough times never last as long we are determined and focused.
I remain grateful for being selected as an OFP scholar, this is a big opportunity for my dream and life generally. The graduate school application process is more than a good GPA or standardized tests, it requires a lot of costs and OFP made everything easy for me. My plans for graduate school were paused because of no funds, but EducationUSA and OFP came to my rescue through mentorship and provided me with the upfront cost required to proceed to graduate school. I will never forget the good work and support of OFP in my life. My long-time dream is now a reality at the University of Colorado for my Ph.D
carl okpala
2022 Beneficiary
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carl okpala
2022 Beneficiary
Karl Okpala earliest memory of me telling his friends and family that he wanted to school in the US was when he was nine years old. At that moment, it felt like a dream or an impossible feat because he knew little about the United States or how to achieve it. All he knew was to work hard and put his whole heart into his dream to fulfill it. Many years later, that dream is now a reality.
He achieved so many things during his time in high school. Got the third position in Abuja in the Cowbellpedia Mathematics Quiz Competition, and got a 50% scholarship from his high school because of his performance in the competition. He graduated as the senior prefect with 6As and 3Bs in the WASSCE, the best result in the school that year. He also held a lot of leadership positions in high school. During the gap between my graduation and my admission to Minerva University, he was accepted into the Opportunity Funds program. During this time the mentorship of the advisers paid off through the application process. Today my dreams have become a reality.I was accepted into Minerva University on a full scholarship. Dare to dream!
charles ikechukwu okpara
2022 Beneficiary
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charles ikechukwu okpara
2022 Beneficiary
Charles holds a first-class bachelor’s degree in Genetics and Biotechnology from the University of Calabar, Calabar, where he also finished as the best-graduating student in the Biological Sciences Faculty in 2019. Upon graduating, he dedicated himself to carrying out research and contributing to scientific research papers, most of which focused primarily on the molecular genetics basis of stress adaptation in biological systems. The turning point in his career came with his acceptance into the 2022 cohort of the EducationUSA scholars program. For Charles, the journey was a surreal one. He attributes his success to the EducationUSA mentors; “There was nothing more rewarding than having them decomplicate the entire application and admission process”. The unmatched guidance was pivotal in securing multiple fully-funded offers from US schools. He joined the Genetics Ph.D. program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the Fall of 2022, where his research now focuses on the functional genetic mapping of the human genome and developing novel genomic approaches to understanding gene regulation in living systems. In his words, “I remember looking through the EducationUSA webpage page prior to starting my school applications and telling myself If they can do it, so can I”. “Fast forward to a year later, and all I can say is If I can do it, so can you”.