Kalu accomplished a very unprecedented feat for a social science student in Saint Paul's Academy Jos by being the Best graduating student in his set. Although he was not exposed to external social science competitions, he always made the best use of any opportunity and won many School awards. He was the Library Prefect and the President of his school's Math Club. Aside from his leadership roles, Kalu served as an invaluable asset to his peers and juniors by organizing many tutorial sessions to help his peers understand difficult concepts.

He never imagined studying in any institution other than an American University. He would typically tell my peers and teachers his plan to study abroad after high school. You can imagine the dismay when he had not secured a single admission to a US institution years later. He felt like a subject of mockery during those periods as he delved slowly into depression. However, the EducationUSA Advisors served as my anchor from that quicksand: Mr. Goddey continuously ensured steady progress with my SAT practice, Aunty Kathryn organized mental health sessions and kept track of everyone's application with regular Bi-weekly chats, Mrs. Malate ensured my participation in Book Clubs and helped get my essays in shape, and of course, Aunty Shade remained a constant stream of support and tough motherly love.

During the application process, he was discouraged by many factors, including the fact that my WAEC results didn't meet his standards and that he also didn't win any external awards in school. However, he was determined and applied with faith. Even after being selected as an undergraduate for the EducationUSA OFP 2020 Cohort, studying in the US always felt like a faraway dream and applying to colleges felt like he was playing a game of dice. Sometimes I felt downcast when my parents asked me how my application process was going, and I replied "Soon," a soft whisper which I prayed would come true. It would be an understatement to say the process was undeniably challenging, but he didn't give up because he envisioned a bright future ahead for himself and the family. Through hard work, faith in God, and encouragement from EducationUSA and New Seasons Youth Program Advisors, I secured a full-ride scholarship admission to Grambling State University. EducationUSA OFP is the prologue to my success story.

Chukwuma was born in Jos, Plateau State, and the fourth child of his family. However, they had to relocate to their hometown in Enugu after a fire outbreak that took everything they had. Much of his childhood years was spent in the village. He had his primary and secondary education in the village. His parents, being illiterate themselves, struggled to make ends meet. His mother focused on subsistence farming and petty trading, while my father set up a workshop and continued his work as a motor mechanic.

Due to life struggles, his education wouldn't have been possible without the intervention of his aunt,, Ms Rose Okolocha, a primary school teacher.  She took it upon herself to train my siblings and me through primary school. In the process of transiting to  secondary school i lost my father from an illness  2007.  This spurred me to struggle harder to succeed. Education was a privilege none in my family (except my aunt). My determination made me the first person in my family to attend the university.

I graduated Summa Cum Laude and as the 2020 Best Graduating Student in the Chemical Engineering department from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.  I am an awardee of numerous scholarships, including the Agbami Medical and Engineering Professionals Scholarship Award (2016 – 2020), the Isionye Community Development Union, Enugwu-Ukwu undergraduate scholarship (2016 - 2020), Victor Umeh Educational Foundation (VUMEF) undergraduate Scholarship (2018 – 2020), and a recipient of Clinton Global Initiative University Award (2020) on proposed mini biogas equipment design. I am a Young Professional, Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), a Member of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) network (Port Harcourt Hub), and a die-hard advocate of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. I have held various leadership positions in social organizations within and outside my school. I have also participated in competitions, seminars, conferences, and volunteer activities. I am ultimately grateful to my mentors, Mr. Nweze Daniel Chinedu and Mr. Modekwe Gift, the best-graduating students in our department 2018/2019 set. Following in their steps, I applied for the Opportunity Funds Program in 2022. I got into the program, eventually wrote the TOEFL exam, and applied to several schools. On 29th January 2023, I received a fully funded Ph.D. admission offer into the Chemical Engineering Department of Auburn University, Alabama.

I am grateful to the EducationUSA Opportunity Fund Program; their mentorship and graduate application preparation have given me this opportunity to live my dreams of studying in the United States. 

Favour Nwankpa holds a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from Alex-Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu Alike Ikwo Ebonyi State Nigeria. She was among the pioneer sets and graduated as one of the best (the top 3%). She worked as a student intern at the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Port Harcourt Area Laboratory where she analyzed NAFDAC-regulated products to safeguard public health by ensuring that established quality requirements were met before they entered the Nigerian market. While here, she was recognized for her ability to learn procedures and work independently hence she was given the responsibility to train new intern intakes.

Favour enjoys helping people and giving back to the community. During her NYSC at Government Girls’ Senior Secondary School, she and her CDS group members organized awareness programs (debates, quiz competitions, and town hall meetings) to encourage girl child education and enrollment. She also volunteered with the Ovie Brume Foundation, where she taught high-achieving pupils from low-income backgrounds Numeracy and Grammar. Furthermore, she participated in raising awareness of breast cancer by volunteering with Kind Hearts International. She is very passionate about biomedical research with an interest in biofilm and antibiotic resistance. Before her application, she did an internship with the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research Yaba, Lagos.

Favour is an EducationUSA Opportunity Fund Program (OFP) scholar. She was selected among the recipients for 2022. Through advice, mentorship, guidance, and resources (e.g. the bootcamp and document reviews) she understood the US application processes, searched for her options, and submitted a competitive application package. This application package includes an academic resume, a well-composed statement of purpose, good standardized test scores, and also a good impression during her interview. She got into the Biological Sciences Ph.D. program at the State University of New York at Binghamton (Binghamton University) fully funded. She is working in Karin Sauer’s lab where she will be working on “Characterizing the role of matrix degradation in biofilm dispersion”.

Born into a family of 6. I had parents who never attended the university but were passionate about ensuring that I and my siblings attain the highest level of education that we wanted. When I was in primary school, I lost my biological mother, and it caused a significant financial downturn in my family as it wasn't easy for my father to fully take care of 4 children. But in all of these, he kept on encouraging us to work hard in our academics. I remember on several occasions, when my dad would cut out a part of a newspaper which contained stories of students on scholarship abroad. He would bring the cut out part and tell us to read it. Those stories encouraged me and gave me the understanding that there's a reward for hardwork, something my dad always talks about because he hates laziness.

I graduated from secondary school in 2015 as the overall best graduating student and then headed on to the university that same year. While in my first year, I was encouraged to apply for scholarships. I spent so much of time browsing on scholarships, both local and international, and my desire to study abroad began to grow. In my 2nd year, I got to know about EducationUSA and Opportunity Funds Program (OFP) through Facebook. Having done so much of research on them, I understood the great support and mentorship they provide to students who have plans of studying abroad. I had the opportunity to read some of the profiles of OFP graduate scholars on Facebook and I noticed that they all had excellent undergraduate academic records. This spurred me to work harder in my academics because I saw OFP as highly competitive, and my only hope since I didn't have the resources to fund my grad application process.  Finally, I graduated with a First-Class honours in Chemical Engineering from Nnamdi Azikiwe University. I then applied for OFP, got interviewed and finally got selected.

Winning the OFP and becoming a member of EduUSA was a longtime dream come true. It was a game changer. Something I had harboured in my heart for close to 4 years. I was so happy because I knew it was the right community where I would get the invaluable support I need for my graduate school application. I remember attending the EducationUSA grad application seminar in 2022 where Anty Shade, Ms Malate and Bola Pius spoke extensively with so much information. Other very useful information were shared in our group chat which I adhered to for my application and through this group, I also knew very intelligent and talented individuals, who are now my very good friends. With the assistance of the EduUSA Abuja advisors and other EduUSA members, I was able to attain a competitive graduate application profile and finally, I got accepted into two different universities on fully funded offers. I chose Auburn University, where I will be studying for my PhD in Chemical Engineering. Indeed, dreams do turn into reality.

Words alone cannot express how grateful I am to be given this rare opportunity. I don't know what I would have done without EduUSA Abuja and OFP. I  remain everly grateful to God, EduUSA Abuja advisors, EduUSA members, family and friends for giving me the opportunity to grow.

Odunayo Oluokun is an exceptional lady with a remarkable academic and leadership background. Having graduated with first-class honors in biochemistry from the Federal University of Technology Akure in 2018, Odunayo continued to excel in her academic pursuits. She pursued her Master of Technology degree in the same department, where she graduated with distinction. Throughout her academic journey, she has demonstrated a keen interest in scientific research, particularly in the areas of neurological challenges and non-communicable diseases. 

Odunayo's leadership skills were evident from her early years. She served as an HIV and AIDS peer educator during her secondary school education, showcasing her passion for community education and health advocacy. Her eloquence and dedication earned her various opportunities, including representing her school and state in competitions and cultural programs. During her undergraduate years, Odunayo actively contributed to her university community. She served as the vice president of the Christ Praise student fellowship, where she instilled moral values in her peers. Additionally, she was involved in community development projects during her one-year national youth service (NYSC), organizing sexual and reproductive health outreaches in rural areas. Her commitment to community service extended to various NGOs, where she volunteered her time and expertise to support initiatives aligned with Sustainable Development Goals 3 and 4. 

In the sphere of scientific research, Odunayo has made significant contributions; as a Graduate Research Assistant, she worked with her mentors at the Functional Food and Nutraceutical Unit Laboratory of the Biochemistry Department, FUTA, on different experiments, leading to several publications and research grants. Her dedication to advancing scientific knowledge earned her recognition, including awards from the 2022 Neuroscience Society of Nigeria (NSN) Conference, the Centre for Research and Development, FUTA merit award and the prestigious ISN travel grant, which allowed her to present her work at the 2022 ISN conference in Honolulu, USA. Furthermore, Odunayo is not only a dedicated scholar but also a talented fashion designer, movie scriptwriter, and actor, showcasing her artistic skills beyond the scientific domain. Her exceptional talents and achievements have been recognized by EducationUSA through the Opportunity Funds Program (OFP). Through the guidance and support of EducationUSA, she was able to secure and start a fully-funded Ph.D. program in Chemistry (Biochemistry Division) at Texas Tech University, USA. 

According to her, “EducationUSA created a platform for me to fly; the support of the advisors and resources helped me cross the hurdles of graduate school applications. The past and present OFP scholars were also instrumental in this journey. I am grateful. The opportunity provided to me and my sister by EducationUSA is golden, as it eased the financial burden of our education off our father’s pension, a man who saw us through university with his pension. I promise to harness this opportunity well and I sure will pay this forward”. With her passion for scientific research, dedication to community service, and leadership skills, Odunayo Oluokun is poised to make significant contributions to both academia and society. Her story serves as an inspiration to aspiring scholars and showcases the importance of perseverance and determination in achieving one's goals.

Ogheneobukome Ejaife is the eldest child in a  family of 6. He lost his dad at 8 and that marked a significant change in his life. He had to step up and assist his mother in running the household.  he remembers as a child, after school, he would go to the shop to help her till late in the evening. In school, the desire to secure a scholarship to cover the costs of my secondary education made him attend extra classes after school in Preparation for my first mathematics competition-the, ANMC. Although I missed the scholarship, that experience gave me the foundations to succeed later.

He attended DSC Technical High School, and throughout his high school days, he received many scholarships due to his excellent grades. As a secondary school student, he participated in many competitions and won virtually everything. Some of his awards Included: 2018 Cowbellpedia state champion and National Semifinalist(Top 18 In Nigeria), MAN Mathematics Quiz 2018 National Winner, !st Position in Technology in Nigeria at the 2021 JETS Quiz Competiton Abuja and Best Student in Mathematics in Nigeria at the 2021 edition of YONSPA 774. In addition to this, he was also a 3-time national winner of the Nigerian Mathematics Mathematics Olympiad(2018,2020, and 2021). As a result, he was selected to represent Nigeria at the 61st International Mathematical Olympiad(IMO) held in Russia in 2021.

He graduated from high school in 2021, and  was awarded as the best-graduating student. He joined Education USA in 2021, and after two application cycles, he secured multiple admissions with different amounts of aid awards. Ultimately, he will be attending Alabama A&M University on a Full-ride scholarship to study electrical Engineering. My advice to everyone is that nothing good comes easy, and thus, anyone hoping to achieve great things must be ready to work hard.

Okezie began his career in primary school when he wrote the annual National Mathematics Competition organized by the Nigerian Tulip International College (NTIC). After coming third position nationwide, he got a full scholarship to attend NTIC.

While at NTIC, he joined the school’s Mathematics Olympiad training program. As part of this program, he received mentorship from senior students while he was in Junior secondary school. As he progressed, he also began to mentor younger students interested in the Olympiads through this program.

As a result of his participation in my school’s Olympiad program, he consistently made it to the top six students in the Nigerian Mathematics Olympiad from my JSS3 to SS3. He represented Nigeria twice at the most prestigious Mathematics Olympiad for high school students all around the world, the International Mathematics Olympiad, where he won an honorable mention. He also represented Nigeria at the 2021 Pan African Mathematics Olympiad where he won a silver medal.

After secondary school, he joined Special Maths Academy, a team of experienced Mathematics Olympians who train younger students that are interested in excelling in the Olympiads. At Special Maths Academy, he taught Olympiad classes, recorded Olympiad tutorial/solution videos, and supported the running of our Olympiad programs as an operations manager.

During his gap year,  he joined Kibo School as a community manager for their five-week introductory programming class—Try Kibo. As a community manager at Try Kibo, He supported students from all across Africa who were learning programming and supported in the planning and hosting of career events where tech professionals from various big tech spoke to the students learning programming. He also volunteered for about a year as a mathematics tutor at an orphanage in my community

He also was active with EducationUSA activities and followed through the application process. He got awarded a presidential scholarship to study Computer Science at Fisk University. He looks forward to gaining a solid understanding of computer technologies. And my hope for the future is to build on this understanding to drive and support innovation in Nigeria.

Olayinka Vaughan is a driven and accomplished student who has excelled both academically and in extracurriculars. He graduated as Valedictorian with 9A1s in his WASSCE and a UTME score of 339 from Princeton College, Lagos, where he was also elected as Head Boy in his senior year due to his amiable personality. During his time at the school, he was the President of the JETS Club.

In addition to his academic achievements, Olayinka is passionate about coding and teaching. During the pandemic, he founded WebTeens, a coding group that taught HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to his friends. He also tutored public school students in organic chemistry and taught a class of 20 children how to code using MIT App Inventor during his school's summer camp.

Olayinka's commitment to community service is evident through his extensive volunteer work with his local Royal Ambassadors of Nigeria chapter. He participated in mission projects such as community clean-ups, visiting the elderly, and acting as a parking guide for schools and churches.

Olayinka's academic achievements and community involvement have earned him a fully-funded scholarship as an inaugural Wesleyan African Scholar.  As an EducationUSA OFP Scholar, he will be joining Wesleyan University this fall to study Computer Science, where he hopes to continue making a positive impact through technology and education.

"Olohi, can't you do this?"  this expression was the question she asked her self being admitted to a  Gifted Secondary School where majority of the stem were all male students. So, from the moment she entered the school she set out to answer to this question. She began to addressed her academic work with a rigorous yet persistent scrupulosity. She took on demanding leadership roles, enrolled in challenging courses in which she happened to be the only female student in a few of them, and participated in various competitions.

This paid off as she got some prestigious awards which includes Best student in Mathematics and the Sciences (2019/2020), 2nd most excellent Woman in STEM in Abuja, Nigeria(2021); Overall best Student in Nigerian Geography Olympiad (state and regional levels) and 3rd position in the Nationals(2019/2020); 1st position in Hajjj Camp Science Quiz Competition(2021); 2nd position in ICPC SEB Quiz(2021); 2nd best student in the Young Nigerian Scientists Presidential Awards(YONSPA) in Abuja, Nigeria(2021), amongst others.To top it all off, I was named the best graduating student overall for the 2021 academic session and emerged as valedictorian, making me one of the very few women to do so in School for the Gifted's 29-year history.

In addition to my academic accomplishments, I cofounded and served as president of the Kwali Juvenile Education Program, was the founding president of the environmental club organization at School for the Gifted, and was the secretary of the school's ICPC club. I'll always be appreciative to God for inspiring me to reach these heights. With His help, I can now confidently shout out to myself and other women in STEM: "Oh yess, we can do this!

After applying to the opportunity funds program, she got selected worked with her advisers. She applied to nine universities in the United States with the help of God and her  advisors, she secured two full-ride scholarships to two amazing schools, and after much deliberation, she decided to commit to Smith College where she will be double majoring in Engineering and Computer Science under an annual scholarship worth $90 000.

Oluwadamilola Olanrewaju stands as a beacon of excellence and achievement. Graduating with top honors from the Department of Microbiology at the University of Lagos in 2021, she earned a First-Class B.Sc. degree, making her mark as the Best Graduating Student in the Department of Microbiology with an outstanding CGPA of 4.96/5.0. Her remarkable performance earned her all the departmental awards and placed her in the top 2% of students across the entire University.

Following her graduation, Oluwadamilola's journey took a transformative turn when she heard about EducationUSA, thanks to the recommendation of a previous Opportunity Funds Program (OFP) Scholar. Embracing this opportunity, she applied and was selected as an OFP Scholar in 2022. This pivotal moment opened doors to further her education and career. She attended the 2022 summer graduate boot camp, where she had the opportunity to connect with other scholars and was armed with accurate and comprehensive information on how to navigate the application process for graduate school.

Oluwadamilola is immensely grateful to EducationUSA for the unwavering support, guidance, access to resources, and mentorship that they provided. With the invaluable support and guidance from EducationUSA, her advisors, and mentors, she successfully secured a fully funded Ph.D. offer at the School of Molecular Biosciences at Washington State University.  

She is currently a doctoral student in Molecular Bioscience at WSU, where she is pursuing her passion for life sciences and receiving training to address some of the most challenging questions in the field.

My name is Onyema Obi. I graduated from the University of Lagos with a first-class honours, bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering. During my undergraduate degree, I served as a fellow of the Millennium Campus Network to advance goal 12 (sustainable consumption and production) of the SDGs. I won the 2nd edition of the Francis Odefiagbon quiz competition at the Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Lagos, and was among the team that won the Zonal NSChe quiz competition in 2020. After I graduated from the University of Lagos, I interned at Babban Gona Farmer Services Limited as a business intelligence analyst, where I helped drive the company’s goal to increase the productivity and wellness of smallholder farmers.

I am currently enrolled in a fully funded PhD program at the Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. I intend to do research in the area of electrocatalysis and battery technology.

I want to deeply express my gratitude to EducationUSA, Lagos, and the EducationUSA advisors for their immense support and mentorship during and after the application process. 

My time at EducationUSA, Lagos, was a memorable one. I learned from the advisors not only about application and post-application processes (like how to search and apply to graduate school, how to prepare for a visa interview, and things to know before traveling to the US for graduate studies, among others) but also about life lessons I believe will be with me through my time in graduate school and beyond.

For current and future EducationUSA and OFP Scholars, you could not have asked for better advisors.

I want to once again express my heartfelt gratitude to Mrs. U. (Mrs. Chinenye Uwadileke), Mrs. J. (Mrs. Jennifer Okoye), and Mr. G. (Mr. Gbadebo Adejumo) (EducationUSA Lagos advisors) for their mentorship and support during this crucial process in my life. I look forward to working with EducationUSA, Lagos, as well as other scholars to assist aspirants in pursuing graduate degrees in the US.

Thank you, and God bless you.

 Osazee H. Oravbiere obtained his bachelor's degree in Structural Engineering from the University of Benin, in 2015, where he finished with First Class Honors (top 1%) and was awarded for his remarkable achievements upon graduation in 2021. 

He worked as a Research Intern at Jeffa Geosurveys and Technical Services, Ltd. before and after his graduation. During his National Youth Service, he worked as a Graduate Structural Engineer at the Works and Physical Planning Division of Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology Ikere-Ekiti in 2022. During this time, he became an Opportunity Funds Program, having no prior knowledge in navigating the Grads Application processes before, through the help of EducationUSA Advisors; he secured a fully funded Ph.D. offer at the University of Georgia, US. He is attending as a Ph.D. student in Resilient Infrastructure Systems. 

Oyedeji Temitope Victor was born on March 31st to a family of six in Ibadan, Nigeria. Growing up in an average family and a competitive environment has always taught me to strive to be at the pinnacle of my abilities while also assisting those around me. This conviction has been the foundation for my attitude towards academics, work, and personal life. It has always been spurred by the words of Albert Einstein: "I have no special talent, I am only passionately curious"

Oyedeji graduated as the best graduating student in the Department of Mathematics and the Faculty of Science at the University of Ibadan for the 2020/2021 session, achieving a CGPA of 3.87/4.0. He received several awards, including the General Overseer Excellence Award, Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria, 2022, National Outstanding Mathematics Student of the Year at the SNEAWARDS 2021, the Junior Chambers International Nigeria (JCIN) Fifteen Outstanding Persons Award for Most Outstanding in Academic Excellence at the University of Ibadan in 2021, , the Best Sportsman of the Year from the National Association of Mathematical Science Students, University of Ibadan in 2021, Academically Outstanding Student of the Year, Faculty of Science Students’ Association, University of Ibadan , 2021, among others.

During his time at the University of Ibadan , he taught pre-university tutorials and provided tutorials and solutions to mathematics past questions from 100 level to final year. In his final year, he served as the academic director of his faculty.  These accomplishments and more earned him, the nickname "Learning Maths." I was also privileged to be accepted into the Opportunity Funds Program of EducationUSA Abuja and secured a fully funded Ph.D. scholarship at the University of Illinois at Chicago. This opportunity would not have been possible without preparation, guidance from mentors and advisors, fellow scholars, and perseverance.

Peter Oyefolu graduated with a First Class honors bachelor’s degree and was the best-graduating student in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Benin in 2021. He worked as a research assistant at the Bioresources Valorization Laboratory, where he co-authored a few high-impact articles in top Elsevier journals, and he has gained recognition for his leadership experience. Through the generous support of the EducationUSA Opportunity Funds Program, Peter was offered four fully funded PhD scholarships and a fellowship. He is currently a recipient of the Howard P. Isermann Fellowship for his doctoral program in Chemical and Biological Engineering at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), Troy, New York. 

Promise’s parents lived more of their lives in southern Nigeria until they needed to relocate to the North for mission work. Her parents were teachers working for the government until they retired to full mission work. This decision changed their finances and moving to a new location had more uncertainty for her and her siblings just in primary school. Little did they know that the relocation of her parents would turn a new chapter in their lives.
Promise and her siblings had to trek several miles to get to school in the new location, something they had never experienced. They also could not communicate with the locals who did not understand good English. Promise’s parents did their best to give her the best education available, even though they had very little income. Her parents were also available to help her through assignments to make up for poor teaching at school.
 
Despite these challenges, Promise made it to the university where she was offered admission to study zoology at the  Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU). She was involved in several extra-curricular activities at the university.  She was a member of her Class Representative Council all through her four-year stay and once served as the Clerk of the Departmental House of Representatives. She also held positions as the Vice President of her Departmental Christian Students Fellowship. Took part in several competitions, including science debate competitions and the Famous Hult Prize.
Upon graduation, she was the secretary and part of the founding member of Digital On-boarders, a Community Development Service group of its kind in Nigeria. She participated in helping 100 local business owners get their business onboarded on Google My Business, and organized digital sensitization outreaches to schools while also channeling her interests in healthcare to volunteer for the Nigerian Red Cross Society and the Slum and Rural Health Initiative.

Promise is taking her interests in healthcare and digitization a step further, and she will be resuming this fall of 2023 to begin her PhD program in Global Family Health and Well-being at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln on a fully funded scholarship. Her focus is on exploring how digital and telehealth techniques can be utilized as interventions for improving the mental and sexual health of women and children from minority populations.