Ogenna had been a trailblazer, in high school she was also granted a state award for being one of the Best students in the FCT Basic Education Certificate Examination(BECE) in the 2016/2017 Academic Section.  She graduated from Bristol Academy in Abuja as one of the Best Graduating Students and salutatorians of the Class of 2020. She took a gap year and joined EducationUSA Abuja where I was awarded the 2022 Undergraduate Unsung Hero for significantly supporting the 2021/2022 undergraduate cohort and for helping organize a charity outreach with EducationUSA.

As a result of my academic achievements and extracurricular activities, I was awarded various scholarships ranging from partial to full funding and will be majoring in Computer and Information Sciences at Rust College a full ride.

While in secondary school, I had the dream of studying in the US one day, and though I didn’t have the means, I always thought that if my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it, I knew I can achieve it. Joining EducationUSA has honestly been my best decision yet and my stepping stone to success. 

There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why… I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?”- Robert Kennedy

Olaniyan Olawale Abiodun is a First class Statistics graduate from the University of Ibadan. He had a diploma in the same field from The Polytechnic, Ibadan, where he graduated as the best student in his department. 

He has gained relevant experience through internships and symposiums. For example, he interned at the Department of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, College of Medicine, the University of Ibadan where he participated in a data management short course and was introduced to the use of analytical data software like SPSS, Microsoft Excel, and R programming language. In April 2021, he participated in a physical symposium on Applied Statistics with R Syntax, which was organized by the International Association of Statistical Computing - African Members Group. 

Part of his research experience was his undergraduate thesis, where he worked on "Assessing the Effect of Socioeconomic Predictor Variables on Under-five Mortality: Evidence from 2018 Nigeria Demographic Health Survey '' where he applied the Wealth Index combination to show how poverty influences child mortality.

Olaniyan is interested in computational statistics and data science, biostatistics, medical statistics and statistical genetics. He got a fully funded scholarship from Western Michigan University where he is currently majoring in Statistics.

During his undergraduate study, he made the dean’s honor list for five consecutive academic sessions and received the University of Ibadan Alumni scholarship award and the much-coveted Agbami Medical and Engineering Professionals Scholarship Award. Moreover, he served as the disciplinary committee member of the Pharmacy Leadership Club, and chairman of his graduating class’ symposium committee. With a motivated spirit, he journeyed through the rigors of pharmacy school, winning scholarships and finishing fourth out of a graduating class of 92 students: with a grade of 6.5 out of 7.0. He also gained teaching and research experience during his internship at Obafemi Awolowo University and his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) program at the University of Uyo. His passion for drug discovery was birthed in the final year of his undergraduate program and since then, he has been threading that path

For Ozioma Colins growing up was pretty challenging due to his physical disability and financial background. His parents struggled to see him and his siblings through the university. His motivation was not giving up; it was about hard work and passion for challenging the status quo at the time.

He obtained a baccalaureate degree from the University of Abuja, where he graduated with a First Class and the best-graduating student, being the first student to achieve this feat. He had the honor of breaking 26 years-long records at the university. Ozioma also held several leadership positions and appointments; He had more than ten achievement laurels and awards as hallmarks of my hard work and contribution to academia.

He has six publications to his name. Opportunity, they say, meets preparation; for most, this might be an abstract phrase, but reality has shown me otherwise. I would love to express my gratitude to EducationUSA Advisors (Abuja),  they have been instrumental in this achievement The opportunity funds program made it all possible to see myself as a graduate student with full funding to pursue my Ph.D. program in computer science and engineering at Notre Dame University. To you reading this right now, I want to encourage you to keep going, persevere, and don’t give up. Dreams do come true; Dare to achieve! Join EducationUSA!" 

Peace Adegbite acquired a first-class honors degree in Engineering Physics from Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria, and graduated as the ‘Best Student in the Engineering Physics Programme, winning the Foundation Alumni and Professor A. F. Oluwole awards. Her undergraduate project was also conferred the ‘Second-Best Undergraduate Materials Project’ at the 19th Nigerian International Materials Congress (NIMACON) conference in a competition that involved several universities nationwide.  She will be attending the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with full funding for her Ph.D. Program in Physics.

Peace began her quest to study in the united states during the National Youth Service in 2020, her first attempt toward graduate school. At that time,  she only applied for popular government scholarships because she did not have any information about my studies in the USA. After 15 graduate school rejections, she saw my dreams crash before her eyes and wondered at the sheer possibility of ever achieving her dreams.
She got to know about the opportunity funds program applied for it and was selected. This better prepared her because she had the required mentorship, community, and support to achieve my goals. As a result, applied to other graduate schools in the USA and got accepted into four schools.
This experience made her believe that she grew stronger and more resilient, and most importantly, developed a clearer understanding of the importance of graduate school to my career. Hence, this fully-funded master’s degree in Biotechnology at the University of Texas at Tyler Health Science Center.

Peter Josiah Aminu

Kaduna State University

University of Colorado Boulder

In 2021, I graduated top of my class with a CGPA of 4.70/5.00 and a first-class degree in biochemistry from KASU. I maximized every opportunity I had to get into the laboratory because of my passion for research. Throughout my undergraduate, I was always assigned to lead my lab group which has helped build my confidence on the lab bench. I also was elected the pioneer president of the Kajuru L.G.A Student Association Kaduna State University Chapter in 2019. During the Covid-19 Lockdown, I enrolled in a five-week virtual computational biology internship hosted by HackBio where I learned a lot and collaborated with internationals to perform a project. The project, which attempts to elucidate the COVID-19 mortality risk assessment among various age groups using phylogenetic analysis, gave me my first collaborative publication in an international journal. Also, as a person who loves to inspire and impact knowledge, I found myself constantly tutoring my mates and many other students even after university. Currently, as a serving corps member, I left a biotechnology research facility so I could teach chemistry and biology in a government secondary school in Abuja.

Josiah Aminu Peter was born in a slum of Kaduna called Television to a family of 6. My parent, currently retired, made sure my siblings and I stayed in school despite our crippling financial situation. My teacher-mother started me off elementary school pretty early, and due to my tiny size, I was always the smallest in my class. To avoid getting bullied, I grew up reticent and low-key, all in a bid to stay invisible. To make up for my quietness, my mind became very lousy. I would constantly soliloquize and ask myself many questions and try to provide answers. As a result, I grew inquisitive, which led me to choose sciences in secondary school.

After my junior secondary school examination, my mum came back home and told me she had brought me a gift. My joy quickly turned to a subtle disappointment when I saw her unwrapping the new School Chemistry and Physics. What I was expecting, I still do not know, but in a few months, those books gradually became my most valuable belongings. I will forever appreciate my mother for that gift that changed my life because if she had gotten me a shoe, I doubt I would be able to remember the color today.

During my undergraduate studies at Kaduna State University, where I studied Biochemistry, my parent lost their job, my oldest sibling passed away, and things got so difficult that my pocket was often empty. Still, it seems as though the more life got tougher, the more focused I got. I found a way to turn that negativity into motivation which was reflected in my excellent academic performance. During my studies, I would help other students with assignments, project lab work, and seminar and project write-ups to make ends meet.

In 2018, a friend and mentor of mine, Emmanuel Musa, who is currently a Ph.D. student at Oregon State University, told me about Education USA and the Opportunity Fund Program and encouraged me to keep my grades up and engage as much as possible in any research activity. Fast forward to 2021, I graduated top of my class with a first-class degree in Biochemistry, got into EducationUSA opportunity funds Program in 2022,  applied to five universities, and got fully-funded Ph.D. offers in three schools,  I accepted and will be attending the University of Colorado Boulder, where I was offered Graduate Assistantship, Fellowship and the Prestigious Shurl and Kay Curci Foundation Scholarship worth over $60,000 that would cover my tuition, health insurance, monthly stipend and also exempt me from teaching assistant duties for my first two years so I can focus solely on research.

To my teachers, lecturers, mentors, my loving family, my friends, my OFP advisors, and everyone who has inspired me to pursue my dreams,  my Ph.D. will be in the Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Department at CU Boulder. 

Reuben Ogba Onwe is a first-generation graduate who obtained his bachelor of science degree in Microbiology (First Class Honors in 2019) from the University of Nigeria Nsukka. He finished as the best graduating student in his department, with several awards. Before his undergraduate studies, at the tender age of eight, Reuben lost his Uncle Ndubuisi Onwe to what he learned in his later years as liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma) due to a late diagnosis of Hepatitis B virus. This changed his thought process and made him curious about viruses. Although at that age, it was unclear which profession he would major in. However, he made up his mind that the career would be one where he could contribute to putting an end to the emotional trauma people go through when they lose loved ones to what seems to him as preventable diseases. Paradoxically, his dad had a penchant for the law profession and was opposed to his vision of pursuing a career in the sciences.

Interestingly, during his high school days, after several disagreements, he was allowed to choose a career for himself. That was a great victory for him, as it marked the beginning of his journey in sciences. Furthermore, part of the things that shaped Reuben’s career were the numerous mentorships he got during his penultimate year as an undergraduate. After his compulsory National Youth Service, his research penchant made him return to his alma mater to volunteer as a research assistant in his undergraduate supervisor’s lab. This further shaped Reuben’s interest and made him join some peer research groups, notably, The Viral Seroprevalence Research group chaired by Professor Anthony C. Ike. This thus helped Reuben to coauthor some research and review papers, and he has thus far had two publications and two conference proceedings.

Apart from Academics, Reuben is a very social person with good leadership and mentorship qualities. Among other leadership positions he has held, during his National Youth service, he served as the president of the Culture and Tourism Community Development Group, Agwada Development Area, Nasarawa State 2020/2021, and also the Drama Director in the Christian’s Copers Fellowship Agwada, Narasawa State. In addition, Reuben has demonstrated various mentorship roles by assisting numerous students in multiple departments in the faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Nigeria Nsukka, notably anchoring the Nigeria Association of Microbiology Students’ week for 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 academic sessions, respectively.

Reuben applied for the EducationUSA Opportunity Fund Program Abuja, 2020/2021 cohort but was not shortlisted. Nevertheless, he reapplied for the EducationUSA Opportunity Fund Program Lagos, 2021/2022 cohort and got accepted. Reuben secured two fully funded PhD offers at the SUNY Upstate Medical University and The University of Pittsburgh for fall 2022. He is presently at SUNY Upstate Medical University, where he is pursuing research in virology and cancer biology.

Being a first-generation student with parents who believed strongly in the pivotal role of education in shaping one's future, I easily developed the tenacity to excel in my academic endeavors. I have found that "getting to work" has enabled me to surpass limitations and charted my way to a brighter future.

I got admitted into the University of Benin to study Petroleum Engineering and my scholarly expedition was met with resounding success. I graduated with a First Class and was the best student in my department (2017/2018 session) with a CGPA of 4.769/5.00.

Fast forward to over two years of career progression in Nigeria's oil and gas industry as a Well Intervention Engineer. I have had the opportunity to serve as the Project Coordinator for the initiation and planning phase of an Offshore project by the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) where I supervised a cross-disciplinary team of engineers consisting of both clients and contractors. I also participated in the on-site delivery of the project as a Well Intervention Engineer. In 2020, I was awarded for innovation by my employer for my invaluable contributions to the company. Some of these included developing advanced cost management techniques and improving the company's profit numbers through better inventory management and business intelligence. I  currently am a machine learning engineer intern at an IT services company.  I am passionate about developing machine-learning solutions for energy applications.

In the summer of 2021, I was selected for the EducationUSA OFP program, which marked a game-changing point in my postgraduate aspirations. Through the expert mentorship and guidance offered by the program, I secured multiple fully funded admission offers to study in the U.S. which included a fully funded admission at The Pennsylvania State University, where I would be pursuing doctoral studies in Energy and Mineral Engineering.

I highly recommend EducationUSA because, being a member, you get access to the most reliable and timely information about U.S. higher education. The access to an amazing community of advisers, mentors, and other high-achieving scholars ensures you stay motivated throughout the journey.

Ruth is the second of five children. She obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Microbiology from Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti #ABUAD in 2015, where she finished top of her class with a CGPA of 4.84 out of 5.00. She emerged as the best graduating student in the Department of Biological Sciences; she was also awarded and celebrated as the Student of the year by the Nigerian Association of Microbiology Students #NAMS-ABUAD Chapter. Throughout her studies in ABUAD, she received Founder’s Scholar Awards.

She was the General Secretary of NAMS-ABUAD Chapter and was appointed as a group leader for several courses to promote academic excellence among her peers. She served as a Graduate Assistant at UNIBEN during her National Youth Service Corps. 

In 2020, Ruth completed her Master’s degree in Medical Microbiology with a distinction from University of Lagos #UNILAG, where she finished as the best student in her specialization (Virology) and overall second best in the department. She worked as an Assistant Lecturer at Osun State Polytechnic Iree, where she started an independent research in Medical Microbiology coupled with diverse research in Microbiology.

In 2021, she started surfing the internet on how to acquire a fully-funded admission to the U.S, after several futile attempts in the past years. Gracefully, her friend sent her “EducationUSA OFP advert”; she applied and got selected as one of the 34 successful applicants out of over 2,500 candidates that completed the application. With exceptional advisors and mentors, she secured three fully funded admissions in the U.S. Ruth currently attends the University of Louisville as a fully-funded Ph.D. student. She is studying for a Ph.D. in Medical Microbiology and bacteriology.

In her words, “EducationUSA is a dream come true, and being an OFP Scholar is a huge blessing.” Thank you for the opportunity.

Saheed Adesile LAWAL graduated from the Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) as the overall best graduating student of the set with the highest CGPA in the history of the university. During his undergraduate days, Saheed demonstrated outstanding academic excellence, which earned him several honors, awards, and scholarships, including the Undergraduate Prize of Physiology, awarded by the Physiological Society, United Kingdom, the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas Limited Merit Award, Federal Scholarship Board (FSB) Merit Scholarship, FUTA Muslim Graduate Award for Academic Excellence, GLO/HUAWEI Award for Excellent Academic Record, etc.

Being an individual who loves to be active and give back to his society, excelling academically did not restrict him from participating in extracurricular activities and leadership roles. Saheed was involved in planning and executing several medical outreach programs during his undergraduate days. He was also the electoral chairman for the Students' Physiological Society of Nigeria (SPAN), FUTA Chapter for two consecutive sessions (2017/18 and 2018/19), and he served as a member of the executive committee for the Muslim Students' Society of Nigeria (MSSN), FUTA Chapter from 2017 to 2019. He also volunteered as a tutor in his departmental academic tutorials and religious society. Saheed was the president of the Health-To-All Initiative (HTAI), a program created to give everyone worldwide access to the information they need to manage their health and live healthily.

Saheed Lawal is an EducationUSA Opportunity Funds Program Scholar. He was one of the 34 successful applicants selected out of over 2500 that completed an application. Saheed secured a fully-funded offer in the United States of America (USA) to pursue a doctoral program (Ph.D.) in Neuroscience at Stony Brook University (State University of New York) for Fall 2022. His research will focus on the mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases. With the motivation to alleviate the rampant increase in the number of people with neurodegenerative diseases, this translational research will elucidate the mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases, and potential therapeutic strategies, thereby easing the lives of patients living with such disorders.

Seyi Bowale Adekoya is a First Class Chemistry graduate from Olabisi Onabanjo University. He graduated as the best student in the Faculty of Science, having a cumulative grade point average of 4.63 in a 5.00 grading system. 

Seyi proceeded to get a master's degree in Inorganic Chemistry at the Premier University of Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, where he graduated with a CGPA of 7.0/7.0.

Shortly after his graduation, he applied for a PhD in the United States of America and was offered admission to study chemistry at the University of New Mexico.

Seyi has a passion for knowledge impartation, which made him deliver free private lessons to his colleagues and younger ones struggling academically during his undergraduate days. Furthermore, he organized Easylife Coaching Classes for primary and secondary school students at no cost.

Seyi believes that for development to occur, individuals must be ready to give back to their communities. His passion for education, advocacy, and community service drove him to return to his alma mater to tutor the students in chemistry and mathematics and prepare them for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination during the holidays. He is also the General Secretary of the Charity Community Development Service during the National Youth Service Corps.

Currently, Seyi is teaching students planning to take their Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination to assist in their training and development. He sees this as a great platform to contribute in his little way to the community. Also, Seyi wants to expose these kids to the psychological and socio-cultural opportunities education presents.

Seyi Bowale Adekoya is a First Class Chemistry graduate from Olabisi Onabanjo University. He graduated as the best student in the Faculty of Science, having a cumulative grade point average of 4.63 out of 5.00. Seyi graduated with a master’s degree in Inorganic Chemistry at the Premier University of Ibadan (UI), Oyo State, Nigeria, where he graduated with a CGPA of 7.0 out of 7.0.

Seyi has a passion for knowledge impartation, which made him deliver free private lessons to his colleagues and younger ones struggling academically during his undergraduate days.

Furthermore, he organized Easylife Coaching Classes for primary and secondary school students at no cost. Seyi believes that for development to occur, individuals must be ready to give back to their communities. His passion for education, advocacy, and community service drove him to return to his alma mater to tutor the students in chemistry and mathematics and prepare them for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination during the holidays. He is also the General Secretary of the Charity Community Development Service during the National Youth Service Corps.

Seyi also taught students planning to take their Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination and assisted in their training and development. He sees this as a great platform to contribute in his little way to the community. Seyi is currently a fully funded Ph.D. student of Chemistry at the University of New Mexico.

Born in the heart of Nigeria to a family with a very low socio-economic standing, I have faced a plethora of challenges (especially financial) in my life. Every moment forward posed an impediment to me when my dad passed away when I was very young; I had to struggle through life without any paternal support. My now single-parent mum had to take up the Herculean task of fending for my little brother and me. For years, I passed through severe lack and hunger that affected me significantly.  I remember always being a defaulter in paying my tuition. There was even a time my Vice Principal called me ‘the poorest of the poor’ because I always couldn’t afford tuition. The list of derisive encounters can go on. However, after years of struggles and pangs of indigence, I successfully completed my secondary education. Despite my fascination with education, it was seemingly impossible for me to secure a college education – until I discovered Education USA.

My first encounter with Education USA was in the 12th grade in high school (School for the Gifted, Gwagwalada) when Education USA delegates brought the thrilling news of the Opportunity Funds Program (OFP). Hearing the smorgasbord of opportunities and possibilities associated with studying in the USA not only elated me but also assured me of the feasibility of attaining a collegiate education – for FREE! I quickly applied for the OFP and, after a rigorous battle amongst a pool of hundreds of applicants, I was selected into the program, gratefully. Yippee!

This marked the beginning of my odyssey into a new era in my life. From attending mind-enriching meetings with fellow Education USA members to having didactic sessions with advisors, my perception of life changed massively. My walk with the advisors simplified the seemingly insurmountable processes of acing my standardized test (SAT, Duolingo), organizing my extracurricular activities, getting a formal résumé, making my school choices, and most importantly, writing stellar essays. My time with the OFP was very rewarding as I learned to be the best version of myself.

In the midst of a broken scenery, Education USA made a picturesque scene out of me. One thing I deeply appreciate about the advisors was the familial reception they showed to me – and everyone. Aunty Shade was always lovingly at the forefront of ensuring I make wise choices (and spanked me when I erred). Mr. Goddey adopted me as a son and always offered fatherly love and assistance to me. Aunty Kathryn was always enthusiastic about reviewing my essays. Together, the advisors made a new home for me and, for the first time in my life, I felt important.

Through the warm support and ever-ready financial assistance of the OFP, I was able to pass the tenacious test of applying to schools (though with multiple denials and waitlists) and finally secured the Presidential Scholarship (which covers full tuition and living expenses) at Fisk University. In a world where dreams may seem unachievable when one is confronted with daunting life challenges, I would never believe I would be where I am today, but here I am, thanks to the Opportunity Funds Program. The OFP is indeed an opportunity to make a nobody somebody.

My time with Education USA taught me a vital life lesson: never say ‘never’ when you’ve never tried. Without stepping out of your comfort zone, your dreams will remain what they are – just dreams. My moments with Education USA are unforgettable. I was a fallen wall; Education USA truly rebuilt me. My special thanks go to God Almighty, who made all things possible, the loving advisors, my darling mother, brother, friends, and well-wishers who have helped me all through this process. You guys rock!