Since junior secondary school, I harbored a strong desire to study in the United States, and my parents wholeheartedly supported my aspirations, especially my mother, despite our financial constraints. After completing junior secondary school, my parents made the difficult decision to transfer me to a different senior secondary school due to the high cost of attendance at my previous school. Although initially seen as a setback, little did I know it would mark the beginning of an extraordinary journey. Everything proceeded as usual until tragedy struck a few months before my final exams in 12th grade.

My beloved mother passed away, leaving my father burdened with both the mental and financial responsibilities of the family. At that moment, all hope seemed lost, and I believed my dreams of studying in the US had been shattered forever. However, a ray of light emerged when I discovered EducationUSA. During my 12th grade at the School for the Gifted Gwagwalada, EducationUSA emissaries introduced me to the Opportunity Funds Program (OFP). Suddenly, my long-lost dream of pursuing an American education was rekindled, and this time, I was overjoyed knowing that I could alleviate my father’s stress and concerns about financing my college education. Without hesitation, I applied for the program, and through sheer fortune, I was granted acceptance.

Engaging in a series of meetings with advisors and fellow EducationUSA members, I became well-versed in the intricacies of the college application system. With their guidance, I successfully organized my extracurricular activities, developed an impressive resume, carefully selected prospective schools, and fulfilled all other requirements for college admission. Despite facing numerous disappointments during my initial application year, I convinced myself that I would pursue my studies beyond the borders of Nigeria. In my second application year, the unwavering support and financial assistance provided by the OFP finally led to a breakthrough. I was awarded a prestigious Presidential scholarship to attend Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University.

Based on my own experiences, I can confidently affirm that any dream, regardless of the obstacles posed by time, finances, motivation, or other barriers, can be achieved. I am a living testament to this belief. The Opportunity Funds Program is not merely a program but a close knit family, and I continuously express my gratitude for the day I discovered this invaluable support system. I extend my sincerest thanks to the EducationUSA advisors for their unwavering support, guidance, and invaluable advice. Furthermore, I express my heartfelt gratitude to God for making this incredible journey possible.

Yetunde Mabadeje holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education and Biology from Lagos State University, Ojo. She graduated as the best graduating student of the Department of Science and Technology and the Faculty of Education. She was also the second-best overall graduating student at Lagos State University in the 2020/2021 academic session obtaining many notable awards.

She is highly motivated and passionate about simplifying learning for students, which has engineered her actions toward improving learning strategies over the years. From teaching students at different academic levels to organizing tutorials for her coursemates and juniors with a 99% success rate, Yetunde’s ever-burning passion for influencing the Education space in Nigeria and Africa at large continues to be evident based on these results. All these culminated in her interest to further dive into the Education space. 

She was selected as one of the 27 successful recipients of the EducationUSA opportunity funds program for the 2022/2023 cohort. Despite lacking prior knowledge of navigating the graduate school application process, she underwent less than a year of intensive training and mentorship by EducationUSA advisors and alumni. This preparation equipped her with the necessary skills to successfully complete the application process. As a result, Yetunde secured a fully funded direct Ph.D. offer in the form of a Research assistantship at the University of Iowa. Her field of study is Learning Sciences and Educational Psychology, with a research focus on how science teachers can create engaging and transformative learning environments. Specifically, she aims to explore how leveraging students' lived experiences, and intersections with other disciplines, interests, tools, representations, and contexts can enhance learning and retention. Her research approach will primarily involve qualitative data analysis.

EducationUSA serves as a valuable resource for aspiring graduate and undergraduate students, providing them with reliable information and necessary training to successfully navigate the challenges of the application process. Additionally, EducationUSA equips students with essential skills to excel in American Educational Institutions at both the graduate and undergraduate levels, so, please go through the rigor of training and applications for you to come out as Gold. I look forward to seeing you in the United States soon!

Yusuf journey to study in the USA started in 2015 immediately he graduated from the university with a First Class Honours in Chemical Engineering from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. He heard about the exam GRE – Graduate Record Examination— for the first time in his life from my mentor and he was determined to write and ace the exam as it was the gateway to studying in the US then. Unfortunately, he did not have the financial means to write the exam and had to wait utill 2016 when he started the NYSC program so that he could save some money from his monthly  allowance to write the exam.

Thankfully, the exchange rate was not as crazy as it is today and I was able to raise the amount ($205 equivalent to about 65,000 NGN) after a couple of months of savings. I had to write TOEFL too as English proficiency test was mandatory then. I wrote the GRE, which was mandatory for grad school application back then and I got a respectable score of 312 (Q158 V154 AWA 4.0). With finance still an issue with respect to payment of application fees (application fee waiver wasn’t a thing back then), I was able to save some money from my allawance and through private tutoring. I was able to pay the app fees of five schools and the sixth school does not require application fee. In the end, I was not admitted to any school and I was devastated when I got the final rejection letter from University of Utah on the 8th of June 2017 when I had hoped to sneak in via the waitlist.

Despite the setback, he never gave up on his dream to further his studies. Now armed with my GRE and TOEFL scores, hr was able to apply to other countries. In the end, he secured fully funded scholarships to 3 countries namely Saudi Arabia (KFUPM), Turkey (Turkiye Burslari scholarship) and UK (PTDF scholarship). Ultimately, he settled for the UK and went on to do his M.Sc. in Petroleum Engineering at Imperial College London. After finishing from Imperial, he still had the drive to study in the US, but this time around, He had the opportunity to be working with excellent advisers from EducationUSA (Ms Adebayo and Ms Malate) to prepare my applications.

The booth camp EducationUSA organized for prospective applicants was eye opening, learnt so many tips on how to better prepare my applications. He also decided to write the GRE again  and scored 332 (Q167 and V165). In the end, I was able to secure over 8 admissions, 4 of were fully funded. Although fully funded, he cold not cover the cost of my visa and my flight ticket. He was hoping for a miracle and that was exactly what happened. He was offered the EducationUSA Opportunity Fund Program (OFP) scholarship, the scholarship covered visa fee, SEVIS fee and flight ticket. My joy knew no bounds when Ms Adebayo informed him that he was among the finalist for the OFP scholarship.

Yusuf was accepted  to University of Rochester’s for a PhD program in Chemical Engineering. He is sincerely greatful to EducationUSA for this rare opportunity and special thanks to the advisers for all the support and mentorship.

Abayomi Emmanuel Adegboyega earned a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Biochemistry from Adekunle Ajasin University and the University of Jos, respectively, where he graduated as one of the top students in his field.

As an undergraduate, he was President of the Departmental Fellowship and the All-Christian Campus Fellowship. While serving as president, he organized numerous seminars, training/workshops, tutorials, and outreaches, earning him a certificate of excellence. During his mandatory one-year service to the country (National Youth Service Corps – NYSC), he led a team of corp members to write and compile study materials for use by corp members across the country as the Plateau State and National Bible Study Secretary with the Nigeria Christian Corper's Fellowship.

Abayomi concentrated on scientific research and invention during his master's program, and his contribution to scientific knowledge has been exceptional since then. In biochemistry, bioinformatics, and computational biology, he has initiated and contributed to several research projects worldwide. Abayomi has led a team of researchers to organize over ten scientific research workshops and seminars (virtual and in-person) on computer-aided drug design for students and faculty from various universities across Nigeria and around the world in the last two years. His active involvement in research has earned him a certificate of excellence from Chrisland University in Abeokuta, Nigeria, as well as recognition among Nigerian researchers.

Abayomi is also a scholar with the EducationUSA Opportunity Funds Program. He applied for the program in 2021 and emerged as one of 34 successful applicants from over 2,500 applicants. Purdue University offered him a fully financed doctoral degree in Biological Sciences, with an emphasis on Structural Biology, Biophysics, and computational Biology.

Abayomi is also a certified project manager and human resource manager, among other things. In Jos, Nigeria, he is the Chief Executive Officer of the Jaris Computational Biology Centre.

Adams Familusi is the first of the three offspring of Mr Samson & Mrs Yemisi Familusi. He holds a bachelor of engineering degree in Civil Engineering from the Nigeria’s leading University of Technology, Federal University of Technology Akure. He completed his undergraduate studies with a first-class, the second-best graduating student of his department in 2019, and won several awards, such as the Federal Government Scholarship Award. During his undergraduate studies, he was aware of his academic prowess and teaching ability. Therefore he did not limit this ability to only his academic pursuit; he volunteered to help his colleagues by simplifying challenging courses for them via organized tutorial classes which he believed would help curtail or shun the habit of exam malpractice. In 2016 while on campus, to satisfy his passion for helping and imparting knowledge, especially to the younger ones, he volunteered with Teens Hub Africa by going for outreaches to enlighten teenagers in secondary schools on the power of a disciplined life and the need to value education (SDG 4).

He developed an interest in a civil engineering specialization- Geotechnical Engineering in his fourth year and led the geotechnical engineering student research group in 2019. As a firm believer in the phrase “Knowledge without consistent practice is useless”, he was committed to undergoing several engineering internships. Furthermore, after graduation, he worked as a geotechnical engineer with Arup, Nigeria, where adroit geotechnical engineers trained him. His work experience further strengthened his admiration for academia when he realized the interconnection and interdependencies between academic research and engineering practice. He resolved that engineering solutions are there to solve engineering problems built on proven research outputs. In contrast, his research is continuously carried out to provide more befitting and optimized engineering solutions.

To achieve his goal of joining academia, furthering his studies, and becoming a professor of geotechnics, he applied for admissions and scholarships in different schools of interest in the United States of America. During the process, he applied to several organizations that support students who are financially incompetent in pursuing their dreams of studying in the US. He won the I-Scholar Initiative scholarship, which paid for his GRE and TOEFL and provided guidance during his application process.

He also got selected among the 35 successful candidates out of over 2500 applicants for the EducationUSA Opportunity Funds Program for the 2021/2022 cohort after his second trial. Through the financial help and mentorship program of EducationUSA, he successfully passed all the hurdles of getting into a graduate school with fully funded admission in the US. He received a fully funded admission from the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, where he is currently carrying out research funded by the NSF in a topical area of “Engineered Water Repellency”. During this PhD program, Adams hopes to contribute to the body of knowledge and develop new methodologies for geotechnics designs that will leverage future technological advantages for efficient and cost-effective implementation.

 Aderiyike Faniyan is a graduate chemical engineer (BSc. First Class Hons) from the University of Lagos. During her undergraduate studies, she also served as an executive in the Redeemed Christian Fellowship (Unilag Chapter). She was a beneficiary of the MTN Foundation scholarship and the University of Lagos Endowment Award while in the University of Lagos. In 2022, she was selected for the EducationUSA Opportunity Funds Program as one of the 30 successful applicants out of a pool of over 2500 applications from all over Nigeria, scoring a 327 on GRE.  Aderiyike will be attending the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in Fall 2022  fully funded Ph.D. program in Chemical Engineering with a focus on energy and sustainability. She looks forward to schooling in one of the best chemical engineering graduate programs and is the #1 recipient of research funding from the National Science Foundation in the US.

Being selected for the EducationUSA OFP was a God-sent and I’m so grateful for my fellow scholars and the invaluable support from the EducationUSA advisers. She believes and advises all to “Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.” – Saint Augustine

Adewale Babatunde completed his bachelor's degree at the University of Lagos, where he studied Petroleum & Gas Engineering and graduated with a First-Class CGPA of 4.90/5.00 and as the second-best graduating student in his class. He won several undergraduate scholarships and awards, including the MTN Foundation Scholarship, PTDF Undergraduate Scholarship, Shell SPDC Scholarship, and so on. He served as the General Secretary of the University of Lagos Chapter of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, which catered to student members across several departments in the university. He was part of the team that won the global Team Total "Innovate" Grant competition in 2018. He was also one of 60 high-achieving individuals selected across Africa into the Scholars Program at the Nigerian University of Technology and Management.

Adewale has proceeded to Cornell University for his PhD in Chemical Engineering with a research focus on semiconductor nanoparticles and their applications in the fabrication of optoelectronic devices such as solar cells.

Ayomikun Kade earned a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Science degree in Microbiology from the prestigious University of Lagos, graduating as one of the best students with both degrees. Due to his stellar academic prowess, he was retained as a Graduate Assistant at the department of Microbiology and eventually promoted to Assistant Lecturer. He is a member of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) (Global Outreach-Contributing membership level) and the Nigerian Society for Microbiology (NSM) Nigeria. He is also a member of the Science Education Alliance-Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES) research team. 

Ayomikun Kade is an EducationUSA Opportunity Funds Program scholar. He applied for the program in 2021 and was among the 34 successful applicants selected out of over 2,500 candidates who completed an application. Ayomikun secured a fully-funded offer from Purdue University where is presently undertaking a Doctoral program in Biological Sciences. His research area is on Microbiology, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases.

Balogun Toheeb is a first-class graduate of Biochemistry from Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba (AAUA), where he graduated with a GPA of 4.76/5.00. Toheeb interned at one of the leading bioscience laboratories in sub-Saharan Africa (the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture Ibadan), where he acquired molecular biology and bioinformatics skills. He also interned at the Centre for Bio-computing and Drug Development (AAUA), where he earned bioinformatics and computational biology skillsets.

Toheeb has presented at scientific conferences and received numerous awards and scholarships. He received a travel fellowship to attend the 2nd Nigerian Bioinformatics and Genomics Network Conference (NBGN). His oral presentation at the 2nd NBGN conference was awarded the best. Similarly, he won a scholarship to attend the 2nd scientific conference organized by the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research. He also got selected for the prestigious Lower Saxony International Summer Academy (Virtual) organized by Hannover Biomedical Research School Germany. He had the opportunity to present his undergraduate thesis and learn about immunotherapy and infectious diseases. He has published over 15 research articles in top scholarly journals with international recognition and collaborations. Toheeb is a certified reviewer for prestigious journals, including Elsevier (Computers in Biology and Medicine), SAGE (Cancer Informatics and Bioinformatics & Biology Insights) and SpringerNature (Bulletin of National Research Centre)

Toheeb was selected as one of the 34 successful applicants out of over 2500 applicants for the EducationUSA Opportunity Funds Programs 2021. Under the guidance of EducationUSA mentorship, he secured multiple fully funded PhD offers in R1 research universities such as Carnegie Mellon University and the University of California San Diego (UCSD). He received Lynn Fellowship for Purdue University PhD program, a Rutgers University PhD fellowship and the Rutgers Molecular Biosciences excellence award. As a top PhD applicant at UCSD, he was offered the prestigious Shurl and Kay Curci Foundation PhD Scholarship and a 6-year guaranteed campus housing. He is currently at the University of California San Diego for his PhD program in Biological Sciences. Toheeb is interested in molecular pharmacology and structural biology, especially in developing small molecules to treat metabolic disorders. 

He hopes to harness biophysical techniques to elucidate protein structures and their metabolic functions and to develop novel drug candidates against such therapeutic targets.

Blessed Chukwuemeka Oguh is a first-class graduate of Industrial Chemistry from the Department of Chemistry, University Of Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. Blessed excelled in his academics and the several leadership positions he held at the university. As academic committee chairperson of the student chemical society (SCSN), he organised a team of tutors whose tutorial activities greatly improved student performance in the 2017/2018 session upon evaluation and comparison. As secretary, he also successfully managed the SCSN UNIJOS student Chemical week in 2017. Blessed was elected president of the student Polymer institute, SPIN UNIJOS Chapter 2018. As president, the institute was revamped for better inclusion and student participation in industrial visits. While on the National Youths Service Program, NYSC, in 2019-2020, Blessed served as a graduate assistant lecturer in the department of science laboratory technology at Zamfara College of Arts and Sciences. During this time, he enjoyed mentoring his students and helping them meet their coursework requirements. These experiences spurred his interest in Academia and the Chemical industry as he began applications for his graduate studies program.

Blessed is an EducationUSA Opportunity Funds Program (OFP) scholar. He was selected as one of the 34 successful applicants out of over 2500 applicants in 2021. Under the guidance of EducationUSA, he secured several fully funded offers for his PhD program. At the moment, he is at Wayne State University for his PhD (Chemistry) program. Blessed is interested in physical and materials chemistry, especially the relationship between materials synthesis, structure and properties at the atomic and molecular scale, and the thermodynamics of physical systems. He intends to develop reactor systems with adequate and sustainable clean energy sources and material feedstock for production process optimization.

Bola Pius Odunaro came from a village in Ogun State where educating a child or sending a child to school is not a practice. At a tender age, he was introduced to farming, the stable lifestyle of his people. When he was five years old, his aunty took him away from the village and insisted that he must follow her to Ekiti where he will have some exposure to a community primary school. Growing up was tough because I could remember they didn’t want to invest in my education because I came from a village. They only wanted me to know how to read and write. When I was in primary six, I made up my mind to go to secondary school after primary school. Attending the school of my choice was stressful but with all these challenges I was able to finish my secondary education and proceeded to a higher institution.

Going through the higher institution was a tough challenge as I had no one ahead of me as a mentor. Had to work for 2years in Lagos as an attendant in a hotel to save for school. I was opportune to be admitted for  ND (National Diploma) where I graduated with upper credit in Mechanical Engineering with a GPA of 3.13/4.0. After the program applied for a Higher National Degree program where I graduated with distinction and was the second-best student in Mechanical Engineering with a GPA of 3.71/4.0 at Yabatech. After my completing my master's program i graduated with a first class in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Ibadan with a GPA of 6.7/7.0 (3.85/4.0). 

 My dream of becoming a professor and a researcher made me look for opportunities for a Ph.D. abroad.  I didn’t know how to about it but met some people on Linked In who provided me with some information and tips about it. And finally, I heard about EducationUSA and the opportunity funds program,  I applied for the program and was selected as an OFP scholar. Fast forward to now, my dream is being actualized. I thank God I didn’t give up when things are tough. "I always believe tough times never last as long we are determined and focused.

I remain grateful for being selected as an OFP scholar, this is a big opportunity for my dream and life generally. The graduate school application process is more than a good GPA or standardized tests, it requires a lot of costs and OFP made everything easy for me. My plans for graduate school were paused because of no funds, but EducationUSA and OFP came to my rescue through mentorship and provided me with the upfront cost required to proceed to graduate school. I will never forget the good work and support of OFP in my life. My long-time dream is now a reality at the University of Colorado for my Ph.D

Karl Okpala earliest memory of me telling his friends and family that he wanted to school in the US was when he was nine years old. At that moment, it felt like a dream or an impossible feat because he knew little about the United States or how to achieve it. All he knew was to work hard and put his whole heart into his dream to fulfill it. Many years later, that dream is now a reality. 

He achieved so many things during his time in high school. Got the third position in Abuja in the Cowbellpedia Mathematics Quiz Competition, and got a 50% scholarship from his high school because of his performance in the competition. He graduated as the senior prefect with 6As and 3Bs in the WASSCE, the best result in the school that year. He also held a lot of leadership positions in high school. During the gap between my graduation and my admission to Minerva University, he was accepted into the Opportunity  Funds program. During this time the mentorship of the advisers paid off through the application process. Today my dreams have become a reality.I was accepted into Minerva University on a full scholarship. Dare to dream!

Charles holds a first-class bachelor’s degree in Genetics and Biotechnology from the University of Calabar, Calabar, where he also finished as the best-graduating student in the Biological Sciences Faculty in 2019. Upon graduating, he dedicated himself to carrying out research and contributing to scientific research papers, most of which focused primarily on the molecular genetics basis of stress adaptation in biological systems. The turning point in his career came with his acceptance into the 2022 cohort of the EducationUSA scholars program. For Charles, the journey was a surreal one. He attributes his success to the EducationUSA mentors; “There was nothing more rewarding than having them decomplicate the entire application and admission process”. The unmatched guidance was pivotal in securing multiple fully-funded offers from US schools. He joined the Genetics Ph.D. program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the Fall of 2022, where his research now focuses on the functional genetic mapping of the human genome and developing novel genomic approaches to understanding gene regulation in living systems. In his words, “I remember looking through the EducationUSA webpage page prior to starting my school applications and telling myself If they can do it, so can I”. “Fast forward to a year later, and all I can say is If I can do it, so can you”. 

Chukwu Chibuike Soka is dedicated and committed to his goals even in the face of daunting circumstances.  Growing up in Jikwoyi a community densely populated settlement in the outskirts of Abuja and characterized to be more of a ghetto. With all the negative social vices, Chukwu was self-motivated to convert the negatives to pull his family from ghetto life.  Losing his dad at a very tender age and mum having to raise her family selling "Akara", served as an inspiration for Chukwu to work extra hard to support his family. Chukwu continued to inspire himself to top his class academically, this has led to his many achievements. Besides his academic achievements, his strengths and attributes are remarkable. He has served in leadership positions at various levels during his undergraduate studies and even outside the academic scene.

Chukwu can’t help but say “Thank God for OFP.” At some point after his undergraduate education, he felt like giving up on his dream to pursue graduate studies due to insufficient funds. But the OFP came to his rescue and brought him into a community of like minds to be mentored and supported. Now his dream of graduate studies has found life and enthusiasm once again. No doubt, he is forever indebted to the OFP family.  Chukwu graduated as the 3^rd best-graduating student from the Department of Chemistry, University of Jos in 2019 with a first-class CGPA of 4.68/5.00.

His drive toward graduate school was what prompted the OFP selection committee to nominate him. He considers himself very privileged to have been chosen given that the OFP acceptance rate is even less than Harvard University’s acceptance rate.  Chukwu knows he is destined for greatness and remains grateful for the successes recorded so far.  However,  his gaze is focused on graduate studies after which he will be better prepared to impact his generation, touch lives, and contribute to making the world a much better place. He got a fully funded offer for a Ph.D. program at the University of Kentucky. 

I always say I grew up fast. I had to. When life deals you a painful blow at a tender age, then there is no other option. As a child, I enjoyed the prerogative of having loving and supportive parents. My parents were education enthusiasts and always provided me with quality education. However, at age 13, I experienced the excruciating demise of my parents due to some health challenges. I became orphaned and was denied a lot of opportunities and privileges due to their absence. I was met with immense financial lack and needed to depend solely on the assistance and benevolence my family and others could offer for subsistence.

In spite of all these vicissitudes, I remained resolute and tenacious. I made a decision to excel in life regardless of what comes my way and to improve the quality of life of people with various health conditions and maladies through research and innovation. This informed my decision to pursue a degree in Biochemistry with a specific interest in the medical aspect of it. I completed my undergraduate studies as the best female student in my department while clinching the prestigious first-class degree and was absorbed as a Graduate Assistant at the Department of Biochemistry, University of Nigeria, Nsukka after my service year. My undergraduate project aimed at finding therapeutics for malaria earned publication in the Pharmaceutical Biology Journal. In addition, the findings of most of the research I have done so far in the area of drug development have also been published in reputable journals.

Diligence, determination, and grit have always been the driving force in pursuing my passion for academics and research geared toward disease amelioration.  This is corroborated by the first-class degree I clinched in Biochemistry and my subsequent absorbance as a graduate assistant in the Department of Biochemistry, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. In the course of my academic journey and work, I have broadened my teaching and research expertise by tutoring and mentoring undergraduate students, carrying out a good number of research projects, attending workshops, presenting most of my research findings at academic conferences, and publishing the same in reputable journals. I firmly believe that these accomplishments so far gave me a competitive edge in being selected for the Education USA Opportunity Funds Program which has truly been a worthwhile experience I will always be grateful for.

Having maximized the privileges of being an OFP scholar and diligently harnessing the wealth of advice gathered, I can now proudly say that I secured graduate teaching assistantship offers in the Chemistry programs of three prestigious schools; I accepted the offer from Purdue University.