My name is Fasilat O. Hassan, I graduated from University of Ibadan with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree with distinction. I am a beneficiary of the University of Ibadan Scholar award which provided me a tuition waiver and stipend for my Master’s program. Through this scholarship, I earned a Master’s degree in Veterinary Biochemistry with a CGPA of 6.7/7 from the institution in 2019. I have currently co-authored 5 research publications in reputable scientific journals. I applied for the EducationUSA Opportunity Funds Program and was selected as one of the 20 successful applicants of the over 400 applicants.

Through the guidance, support, and mentorship of the EducationUSA Opportunity Funds Program, I secured a fully funded PhD position in Biomedical Sciences with a graduate research assistantship worth $44,342 from The University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) where I am attending as of fall 2021. I also got funded PhD offers from Loyola University Chicago and the University of Oklahoma Health Science Center for fall 2021.

Obtaining a fully funded admission in the US is a marathon as this feat was achieved as a result of deliberate effort, persistence, determination and hard work over the years and the spirit of never giving up or getting discouraged despite rejections and obstacles that were faced. Achieving the desired goal has been the driving force against all odds. 

My sincere gratitude goes to the EducationUSA Opportunity Funds Program advisers for their guidance, support and mentorship in achieving this milestone.

Greatness is an alumnus of the prestigious University of Lagos with a BSc in Chemistry. Having finished in the top 2% of the Class of 2018, he graduated with a Greatness is an alumnus of the prestigious University of Lagos with a BSc in Chemistry. Having finished in the top 2% of the Class of 2018, he graduatedfirst-class CGPA. Owing to his excellent performance, he was retained to work as a research assistant immediately after graduation. Consequently, he served in the department as a graduate teaching and research assistant during the national youth service programme. 

During his service year, he participated in several research projects with a major focus on electroanalytical chemistry. Thus, he is an ardent researcher in the area of Electrochemical Sensors development. Greatness has attended various academic conferences and made poster presentations in some of them, including PITTCON 2019. He has one international publication and four more under peer review. Besides research, Greatness has volunteered for various empowerment foundations, contributing to societal development in the process.

He was selected as an EducationUSA Opportunity Funds Scholar in 2020. Moreover, through the guidance and mentorship of the EducationUSA Advisers (Lagos),  he secured fully funded Chemistry PhD scholarships into three universities in the US. He is attending the University of Virginia at Charlottesville, where he plans to pursue research in Neuro Electroanalytical Chemistry. 

Meet Ikechukwu Nwankwo, a 2020 Opportunity Funds Program (OFP) Scholar who graduated with First-Class Honors in Parasitology Major, Department of Zoology, University of Lagos. As a Graduate Research Assistant at the Malaria and Genomics Laboratory, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, he has been actively involved in research projects focused on investigating the molecular investigation of Plasmodium falciparum, identifying genes and proteins associated with antimalarial drug resistance. He has a publication in an international journal and has attended several academic conferences. Ikechukwu was selected as an OFP Scholar and working with EducationUSA Lagos, he secured full funding to obtain a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology at Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he is joining the Malaria research team.

John Akudike is a graduate geoscientist (BTech. First Class Hons.) of the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), quality education advocate, and serial volunteer whose motivation soars when his work supports a good cause. 

Driven by the need to see others succeed, and help societies thrive across all levels, as an undergraduate, John served as Academic, ICT and Music Coordinator as well as Departmental President across various years of his studies. He is a Civic Leadership Fellow of the Barack Obama Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) and served as Rapporteur and Programs Coordinator for YALI Imo State in his final undergraduate year. He currently volunteers as Young Professionals (YP) Representative for the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) Africa Region, YP Technical Committee Secretary for the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE), having served as YP Editor-In-Chief for the European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers (EAGE) Nigeria Local Chapter in 2020. Through these roles, John helps to promote knowledge in geosciences and bridge the gap between academia and industry for students and young graduates.

In recognition of his work over the years, John has been a beneficiary of several scholarships and trainings. Notable among these is the Nigerian Agip Oil Company scholarship which funded his undergraduate studies for five years (2014-2019), the YALI RLC West Africa sponsorship for a 3-week training at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (2019), the NAPE-University Assistance Programme sponsorship for a Core Description (Reservoir Geology) training at the Shell Petroleum Development Company (2019), and the Society of Exploration Geophysicists 75^th Anniversary scholarship (2019). A proponent of the notable quote by Jonas Salk, “The reward for work well done is the opportunity to do more”, John has utilized these resources to help other undergraduates and graduates alike secure and benefit from global scholarship and training opportunities.

By God’s grace, John was also selected as an EducationUSA Opportunity Funds Program Scholar, during his National Youth Service in 2020. Working closely with the Advisors, Mentors and fellow scholars, he secured a funded offer at Texas Tech University and is pursuing a Master’s degree in Geosciences. His research work centers on the application of basin modeling and petroleum system analysis to reduce geologic risks and uncertainties, optimize production, and create sustainable solutions to geoscience challenges. John's long-term goal is to work as a research consultant to governments and industries and above all, a professor in academia - training future geoscientists - to create cleaner, greener energy sources for the sustainability of our environment.

The Opportunity Funds Program has been an awesome learning experience for John. He is grateful for the life-changing opportunity and does his best to pay it forward daily. This is because, as a final year undergrad in 2019, he started planning for graduate school but was discouraged by the costs involved. However, he sought advice from Mentors who advised him to start anyway. In the same vein, he encourages anyone who has a dream, to ‘start anyway; be strategic, keep believing in and keep working towards your dreams, help will come along the way’.

Meet Joseph Jaiyeola, a First-Class graduate of the Department of Demography and Social Statistics, Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria. Joseph is an excellent driven person who won the Professor Alfred academic excellence award for three consecutive years and graduated as the best student in his class in 2019.

He has a solid research background that exposed him to the use of a wide range of analytical tools and techniques. Joseph interned as an Enumerator/Field Researcher at the Center for Research Evaluation and Resources Development (CRERD) where he carried out qualitative research through Focused Group discussion (FDG) and in-depth interview.

To Joseph, service to others is the best work of life because while he graduated top of his class, he simultaneously served in different leadership capacities, political activities and contributed to various human development initiatives. For instance, while he was an undergraduate, in his final year, he was appointed as the Chairman of the Student Week Planning Committee where he rebranded the event and alongside launched the maiden edition of the student magazine at her annual conference. Prior to this moment, at different times he served in the student body as an Academic Committee Member, Assistant General Secretary, and the General Secretary. He was also part of those who served in the planning committee for the Population Association of Nigeria (PAN) International Conference held in Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria. From a desire to impact others, he co-founded Brilliant Minds Edu-Consult with the aim of training and empowering student in the use of statistical software such as Excel, Stata, Epi-Data, R-Language and SAS. 

In 2020, he was selected as an EducationUSA Opportunity Funds Scholar and through the guide of the advisors he was able to secure a fully funded PhD scholarship in Applied Demography at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) where he is currently attending. Joseph is passionate about contributing to the existing research in the field of demography by applying his knowledge to solving social problems caused by insufficient or unreliable data and his research will be focused on the study of population and the use of statistical techniques as a guide in policy decisions and economic development. 

In his words “EducationUSA for me was timely as it connected all my dots for my graduate application and the opportunity to connect with like-minded scholars fueled my motivation to go through the rigorous process. Another advantage of being an EducationUSA member is that you also have access to the best advisors and the most reliable resources.”

Kehinde Adebiyi is a research enthusiast interested in leveraging molecular biology techniques to better manage infectious diseases. He is a First-class Graduate of Microbiology from the Lagos State University (LASU). While studying at LASU, he received numerous scholarships, including the Gani-Fawenhinmi, Fidson Healthcare, and Jagal Foundation Scholarships. Kehinde is a founding Scholar of the Nigerian University of Technology and Management, where he was engaged in interdisciplinary studies for Africa development. 

Kehinde served as the National Director of Campuses for SDGs-ACT Nigeria, where he led all sustainable development advocacy groups across universities in Nigeria. In June 2020, he was nominated as one of the 100 Beating Corona Heroes in Africa by The Future Festival and won the Union Bank Award for his invaluable role in helping others rise during the COVID-19 pandemic. He is a Fellow of the Young Africa Leadership Initiative and served as the 2020 YouthLead Ambassadors Peer Advisor. In 2019, Kehinde led the largest SDGs campus advocacy to over 20,000 students in his country, thereby earning him the reputable award of SDGsACT Nigeria man of the year 2019, Millennium Fellow Hall of Fame, Hesselbein Fellowship, and numerous others

As a testament to his scholarship and leadership prowess in managing social impact groups, Kehinde was appointed as the Program Coordinator for the Class of 2020 Millennium Fellowship – a program launched by the United Nations Academic Impact and Millennium Campus Network. Through this global role, Kehinde coordinated 1400 student leaders from 80 campuses across 20 nations to implement 711 projects that impacted the lives of over 875,827 people worldwide.

Kehinde’s greatest strengths lie in his versatility. He is an academic with five peer-reviewed publications who have also implemented phenomenal projects for socio-economic developments worldwide. Hence, his greatest assets are his global perspective, understanding of diversity, logical reasoning, and a great deal of empathy. Kehinde co-authored a book titled ‘Nature Pays Diligence,’ which has helped undergraduates live a successful campus life. 

His drive to pursue global education inspired him to apply for the EducationUSA Opportunity Funds Program (OFP) and was selected as one of the Scholars for 2020. In Kehinde’s words, ‘EducationUSA OFP was an avenue for me to discover the limitless possibilities of a Scholar and I was driven to pursue my goals against all odds. The peer mentorship is the most valuable part of my experience’. Consequently, Kehinde was offered fully funded doctoral study positions from three top universities in the United States, and he began his doctoral study in Microbiology at Indiana University in the fall of 2021. He aspires to be a renowned Professor of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics who will leverage science and technology to drive development in Africa.

Mayowa Oladipo is the first child of the family. Mayowa was brought up by average salary earners parents who churned out their best in making the five children in the family have a school education. Mayowa's background had grown his passion for excellence. It has helped him achieve a high-ranking first-class grade (top 2% of 2,729 students) in the Bachelor's degree in Industrial Chemistry from the Federal University of Technology Akure. He served as the Academic Coordinator of the students' fellowship during the undergraduate days, where he organized an academic symposium that harnessed the restoration of academic excellence to a group of students. In the third year, he was the Youth president of a religious association. He was able to use his skills to coordinate programs geared towards the progress of youth bodies and enhanced the association's vision.

Turning to one-year voluntary national service, he enthusiastically assessed the environmental water quantity and quality of Federal Capital Territory Water Board treatment plants for potable water to be continually produced to consumers. He was involved in the delivery of water and wastewater services to the Bwari Area. In the same vein, he was a member of the Bwari Drug-Free Club, Federal Capital Territory Abuja, Nigeria, to organize a drug education and awareness campaign for schools and communities about the horrors of drug abuse. He played the role of getting people to sign the Drug-Free Pledge to foster drug-free lives. Besides these, he has three international journal publications.

He was selected as an EducationUSA Opportunity Funds Scholar in 2020. Through the guidance and mentorship of the EducationUSA Advisers (Lagos), he secured a fully funded offer from the Florida International University (FIU) worth over $35,000 per year for his Ph.D. in Chemistry, focusing on Environmental Chemistry.

Mayowa is highly motivated and appreciated the golden opportunity EducationUSA brought across his path. Indeed, he sees this opportunity as the unparalleled one which has paved the way for him to achieve his goals.

After securing admission into Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Department of Medical Laboratory Science, my dad plainly told me that he doesn’t have the financial capacity to train me in school. Despite the odds, I forged ahead to begin my studies not knowing what the future holds for me. As a sophomore, I was a recipient of the Agbami Chevron Scholarship which saw me through till the end of my undergraduate program. Due to my active participation in the Biomedical Quest (an undergraduate research club), I was promoted to the post of the Secretary General and became the Assistant Class Representative in my specialty. At my 300 level, I was awarded the Most Outstanding Female by the Medical Laboratory Science Student Association (NIMELSSA) and I also held executive positions for three years at the Deeper Life Campus Fellowship. Despite my tight schedule, I was able to graduate as one of the two females in the same set to have ever graduated with a First Class (3.73/4.00) in the Department since the inception of the school. I was awarded with a plaque and other financial benefits.

After graduation, I did a one-year internship at the Foremost Five-star Laboratory in West Africa, the Nigerian Air Force Hospital Laboratory, Ikeja, Lagos and came out the best at the internship examination conducted by the Chevron Nigeria Limited Hospital, Gbagada, Lagos in 2019. I was able to present seminars on relevant health related topics and gain mastery of advanced laboratory techniques. I went further to have my compulsory one-year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, NIMR, Yaba, where I was retained and promoted to the post of a Research Assistant/Project Staff. I have co-authored a paper currently under review in a reputable journal and still currently working on others. 

It has always been my dream to further my studies but coming from a family that is not financially buoyant, my hopes were very low.  My dreams bounced back to life when I came across EducationUSA Opportunity Funds Program in 2020. I applied for it, and to my greatest amazement I was selected as one of the 33 successful applicants out of over 500 applicants; one of the best things that has ever happened in my life. Through the mentorship and guidance of the EducationUSA advisers (Lagos), I’m glad to tell you I began my fully funded PhD in Biological Sciences with a Graduate Research Assistantship worth over $61,000 from Purdue University in fall 2021. Thank you EducationUSA!

Michael is the last born of three children. He was born in Kaduna but later moved with his family to Lagos after his father, a Nigeria Airforce Personnel, was reposted to Lagos. Michael had his primary, secondary, and university education in Lagos, Nigeria. He graduated from Lagos State University, Ojo with a first class in Biochemistry as the overall best graduating student and Valedictorian at the 20th LASU convocation ceremony in 2016. During his undergraduate studies, he held several leadership positions that yielded laurels for the university. In 2014, he led a team of biochemistry students to win the National Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Annual Quizzes at the Southwest region and later at the national level in October 2014. Michael was a university scholar all through his programme; he later won both the faculty and university prizes for his outstanding academic achievements. 

His interest in Biomedical research was birthed after his late sister was diagnosed with a breast tumour. Even though she later recovered, he described the experience as horrific but life changing. Michael later had the opportunity to assist a doctoral student on her research that evaluated the effects of a plant compound on inflammatory bowel disease. He learned how to use animal models for drug compound screening and this experience led him to explore the side effects of an analgesic on inflammation markers and liver enzymes for his undergraduate thesis project. His passion for teaching was also noticed and he was elected as the head of the tutorial units of the National Society of Biochemistry Student, LASU chapter. Over 50 students benefited from his team’s dedication that provided coaching classes for students struggling with their coursework or modules. 

In 2017, Michael had the opportunity to work at the Centre for Biocomputing and Drug Development, Adekunle Ajasin University, Ondo, Nigeria where he developed robust skills and interest in computer-assisted drug design. The network he built has resulted in five research publications in referred local and international journals. Along the line, he was appointed a drug development research mentor at Hackbio. He guided 20 interns on the project design for computational drug repositioning against the Covid-19 virus at the 2020 Bioinformatics Virtual Internship of Hackbio, which had participants from over 10 nations of the world. 

Michael was considered and selected for the OFP program by EducationUSA Lagos. He has begun a graduate assistantship to the Arizona Biological and Biomedical Science Ph.D. Program at the University of Arizona in 2020. During this program, he had the opportunity to rotate between laboratories working on cancer drug research in a multi-disciplinary environment. His projects were centered on the development of new drug candidates, hopefully from natural products, against breast cancer. In his words, "EducationUSA Lagos made my application journey way less stressful by providing the best resources for each stage of the process. I had the opportunity to learn how to research my options, contact Professors, and write a winning personal statement from the wonderful Advisors. The dynamic community of scholars were quite inspiring, and I will always be grateful for the EducationUSA OFP.

I came across EducationUSA Opportunity Funds program for the first time during my Youths Service when one of my professors sent me link on WhatsApp for the application back in 2016. I turned the other eyes based on the notion that the application process for USA is rigorous and unachievable and only meant for just few people. In 2017, another professor from my school came to search for me at the University of Ibadan where I was doing my Master’s degree just to inform me to apply again, as usual, I turned a deaf ear, but this time around, on the notion that the link was fake without even making effort to confirm its authenticity. I eventually decided to give it a shot because I kept on receiving the application links from friends. I could recall I completed the application at one go and finished at midnight.

However, against the way I envisioned the application process, the process is rigorous but not unachievable. With the help of the EducationUSA advisers and US mentors in my area of study assigned to me, I was provided guidance from studying for the standardised tests to editing and proofreading my Statement of Purpose. All these made the process hitch-free. Sharing information with fellow Opportunity Funds Scholars was also helpful.

As an Opportunity Funds Scholar, the most challenging thing for me was attending valuable programs organised by EducationUSA which are highly informative for successful application process. On several occasion I got home very late at night with the fear and risk of walking at night in my insecure area, but I am glad the whole risk worth it.

I learnt several things as an Opportunity Funds Scholar, and that is anything worthwhile requires dedication, perseverance and unwavering diligence and that success always comes with a price tag, if one can pay the price nothing is unachievable.

Onuh Victor was born and raised in Ibadan, Oyo State but he's an origin of Enugu State. He is the fifth of six children and the second of two sons. Growing up as a child, Victor wasn't always an excellent student but through hard work and consistency, he was able to achieve this feat. While in primary school, he struggled with his academics but the desire to improve was implanted in him by one of his teachers who believed he had what it took to be an exceptional student. Motivated by this, he kept on burning the midnight candle and his hard work eventually paid off as he was awarded his first scholarship by his school's Old Students Association for the overall best science student in Senior Secondary School(SSS) 2. Having exhibited exceptional leadership and communication skills through positions held in various extracurricular activities, he was appointed the Head boy of the school. He was the President of Chess and Scrabble club, Secretary of Literary and Debate club, Editor of Press club and a member of the school football team that came first in the Southwest Zone in the National Football competition. 

He graduated as the Federal Government College Ogbomoso Old Students Association (FEGOCOOSA) overall best student and was awarded the most patriotic graduating student, award of Leadership and several others as a result of his outstanding academic and leadership performance during his tenure as Head Boy. For his graduating class, he was the third overall best student in WASSCE. 

After graduation, Victor interned in a Pharmacy and during that period he started a humanitarian foundation: Keep The Old Alive(K.T.O.A), for the elderly people in his society. It was his own way of lending support in the battle against the Corona virus outbreak. The activities of his foundation include exercises, counseling sessions and reporting of health complaints to the necessary medical personnel. These activities were intended to help the elderly people in his community build a strong immune system against Covid-19 by keeping fit, holding conversations on a wide range of topics in order to reduce anxiety, sensitizing them on the right food consumption and following the recommended safety precautions. 

In 2019, he was selected as an EducationUSA Opportunity Funds Program (OFP) scholar amongst over hundreds of applicants. With the assistance of his advisors, he was able to gain acceptance into four colleges in the US with partial funding and a fully funded scholarship worth $31,000 to Minerva University in San Francisco, California. He intends to study Pharmacy in graduate school and is double majoring in Psychology and Chemistry at Minerva. With the experience acquired in his multiple fields of study, he intends to expand his foundation to several countries and raise awareness on the neglect of the elderly people in the society. In his leisure time, you can find him reading articles/books, watching/playing football or meditating. 

His life's motto is "There's no true success without PHD; Prayer, Hard work and Determination."   

I graduated from the Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science, University of Lagos with a first-class degree in 2016. In 2017, during my National Youth Service Corps in Lagos, I held a leadership position as the Secretary General of the Information Communication Technology (ICT) unit headquartered at Surulere, Lagos. Through this platform, we solicited for supports to refurbish outdated computer laboratories and libraries and taught fundamental computer courses to students. In the same year, I ventured into independent research, where I explored the intricacies of bioinformatics in predicting viral pathogenesis and designing possible drugs and vaccines using in silico checkpoints. At the age of 24 without formal supervision, I had my first sole author international publication which was centered on deciphering the role of NPC1 cholesterol receptor in the cellular entry of Ebola virus. The same year, out of 94 research from international delegate, I won the best poster presentation at the first West Africa Bioinformatics Conference held in Nigeria. Thereafter, in 2019, I won a travel fellowship out of 5000 applicants all over Africa and Germany to attend the International Union of Immunology Society workshop in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. I was sponsored by the Volkswagen Foundation, Germany. I had a rigorous mentoring session with world renowned and NIH awarded immunologists. I am also a recipient of the DR. D.K. Olukoya Academic Award. 

I have over 10 international publications including the highly revered Plos ONE, SAGE publishers, Microbiology society (UK) press, and the Journal of Immunology research (Hindawi Publishers), of which I was the lead researcher. Under the COVID research alone, I have obtained over 5 publications centered on vaccines and drug designs using in silico checkpoints and wet lab validations. I was under the Lagos State Research and Innovation COVID grant in collaboration with the University of Lagos. Under this grant scheme, we proposed a vast array of potential adjuvants that can boost the immunogenic profile of a developed vaccine. I am also a certified peer reviewer for Elsevier (Computer in Biology and Medicine with IF> 3), SAGE (Bioinformatics and Biology insights) and Oxford University press (Briefings in Bioinformatics with impact factor >8). I was on a collaborative research with the Genetics department of Stanford University, as we unraveled the MHC polymorphic pattern in the African population and its implications in infectious diseases. 

In 2020, I was selected as an EducationUSA opportunity fund scholar. This was one of my greatest achievements. The constant mentorship in securing fully funded positions was second to none. I was able to secure four Biological sciences PhD offers from top R1 universities. I was also offered several fellowships such as the Evans Atwell Academic Excellence Award for Rice University, Lynn fellowship for Purdue University, and guaranteed a 6-year campus housing in UC San Diego as an outstanding applicant. I began attending University of California, San Diego after a full ride scholarship of over $68,000, and am studying the immunological and evolutionary characterizations of viral infections within the host cell. 

Pascal is the 17th child of his family with 20 siblings and two stepmothers, and he is the sole first-generation graduate student. Born and raised in Onitsha, Anambra State, he completed his Bachelor's degree in Plant Biology and Biotechnology with First Class Honours at the University of Benin (UNIBEN) in 2015. He was among the top 3% in his class.

During his undergraduate studies at UNIBEN, Pascal engaged in several leadership positions, including functioning as his faculty’s representative at the Supreme Parliament of the Student Union Government and later as the President of the Students' Association in his Department. Through these fora, he championed a movement that supported underprivileged students in paying their school fees and organized the first academic excursion to the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in his Department. His flair for teaching poised him to engage in tutorials and help other students to level up in their coursework. 

Upon completing his first degree, Pascal returned to the university to volunteer in his supervisor's lab as a Graduate Research Assistant while pursuing a self-funded Master's degree in Environmental Plant Physiology, which he completed with a Ph.D. Merit in 2018. In this role, he helped mentored undergraduate students in research methodology and publications as he has eight publications in both national and international journals. Pascal is an Elsevier certified Reviewer and acts as a reviewer to Acta Agriculturae Slovenica. Furthermore, he won a prestigious full-ride Queen Elizabeth Commonwealth Scholarship in 2019 for a Master's degree in Tropical Crop Protection at the University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago, where he graduated summa cum laude with a GPA of 4.0/4.0.

Pascal was selected as one of the EducationUSA Opportunity Fund Scholars in 2019. Through a well-defined mentorship and unalloyed guidance of the EducationUSA Adviser (Lagos), he secured an academic place and is attending Purdue University studying for Ph.D. Plant Biology with a prestigious Lynn Fellowship that is worth approximately $62,634.25. He plans to use biotechnological approaches in improving crop yield and stress resistance in plants. Pascal confirms that EducationUSA, Lagos, not only helped him reach his dreams but also redefined his perspective about success and failure. Pascal adduces that failure is a mindset and reflects in those who ignore a drop of rain and waits for Ocean flow. And so long as the Sun rises from the East and sets in the West, nothing in existence can stop a determined mind. Dare to achieve! Join EducationUSA!

Peter hails from Ipokia, a village in Ogun State, Nigeria. He is the first child in a family of four children. He topped his class from his primary school to secondary school, where he also won many prizes and awards during this time. Peter was made the Senior Prefect boy in both his primary and secondary school due to his academic excellence and exemplary leadership skills.  Despite coming from a village, where his secondary school lacks teachers, coupled with flooded classrooms and staff room due to shattered roofing sheets. He never considered any of these as a barrier, but rather he kept the dream to succeed irrespective of the challenges.

Peter has a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from Lagos State University, where he graduated as the best student in his department, despite serving as the Head of Class (HOC) saddled with many rigorous responsibilities. He won many awards and honors as a University Scholar during his undergrad. He finished with a CGPA (4.74/5.00) which was the highest the department ever produced as at the time; he also scored A grade in all the biochemistry courses he offered which is also a feat yet to be defeated. Due to his academic prowess, Peter was selected in his final semester as an Undergraduate to participate in an exchange program at Indiana University (IU), Bloomington, United States in 2018. At IU, he was exposed to topnotch biology research techniques that prepared him competitively for graduate school in the U.S. This experience contributed a lot towards his passion for conducting outstanding biology research.

During his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) which he did in Kaduna State, he served at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), working as a laboratory assistant/instructor. His responsibility at ABU includes, but not limited to, assisting graduate students with their research projects, work in close contacts with faculty members on their research, and guiding final year students with their final undergraduate project works. In addition, he was able to co-author a research publication in a high impact journal. All these solidified his research experience which immensely contributed to his graduate school applications.

Prior to being selected as an OFP scholar by EducationUSA in 2020, Peter applied to many Universities in the United States including IU where he interned, he was rejected by all the schools. With the help of God, after becoming an OFP scholar and working under the mentorship and guidance of the EducationUSA advisors, he was able to secure fully funded admissions into three top Universities in the U.S. Peter is attending University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) for Ph.D. Biology with fully financial support of $80,000. At UPenn, his research focus will be on Epigenetics and RNA modification.

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Praise hails from Benue state but was born and raised in Ondo State. He is second out of the three kids born to his parents. Praise has shown exceptionality in academics from primary school through secondary school, never leaving the top position in class for once. He was overall best student all six years of secondary school, graduated Valedictorian in his final year, and with the best WASSCE and NECO results in his school. Praise was class prefect all five out of six years in secondary school till the school body appointed him, head boy, and President of the Students’ Representative Council also in his final year.

Praise represented his school in competitions within the township, state, and region, making top 4 in the Science Teachers Association of Nigeria(STAN), Annual Science competitions in the state. He was 3rd runner up in the National Institute of Physics(NIP) Annual Physics competition qualifiers in the Southwest Region of Nigeria. He was also 1st  in the JETS Senior Science competitions and the NNPC National Science competitions in Ondo West and was 9th and 4th respectively in the State qualifiers. 

Praise also participated in and led many extracurricular activities. Asides from awakening the sleeping social clubs in his active days as head boy, He was President of the JETS and Olympiad clubs. He was also Editor 1 in the school Press and Editorial Board and was a school debate team member. He was a member of the school choir and led them in various ministrations in and out of the school. Praise was decorated Students' Leadership Ambassador by the Seyi Gambo Leadership Academy in 2016. In his gap year(s), He volunteered as a substitute teacher and intern in a maternity clinic. He also had musical outreaches to orphanage homes with the Royal Priesthood Harmonics, a musical group he was a member of.

In 2019, Praise was selected as an EducationUSA Opportunity Funds Scholar. Through the EducationUSA Advisor’s (Lagos) guidance, He secured multiple admissions but decided on the fully funded scholarship to the future of tertiary education, Minerva University in San Francisco, California. He is currently majoring in Natural Sciences with a minor in Cognitive Science.

 “Do your best, then make it better and even better yet again!” is his mantra.