“There are no hard tasks, but only little minds” - Ekeke G.C

Meet Chinyere Eunice Eme a graduate of the Federal University of Technology Owerri, Imo State, where she studied (Geology/Mining) Science Laboratory Technology. She has been involved in several research and teaching experiences during her undergraduate and graduate period. She has two published papers in sedimentology and stratigraphy. Eunice is an EducationUSA member that was selected as one of the Opportunity Funded Program Scholars; she volunteered alongside her membership to secure a fully funded scholarship with Kansas State University, Manhattan campus, studying MSc in Geology/Earth Sciences beginning fall 2021. The Scholarship comes with a graduate teaching and research assistantship where she is working reservoir characterization.

Eunice thrives in creating a sustainable solution to problems and is never afraid to face whatever challenge comes her way. Driven by resilience, tenacity, her quest to succeed, and the need to give back to society, she volunteers with Stay in School Nigeria, Empirenetics, to coach the younger generation on the need to embrace their studies and to stand out in whatever they do while making themselves employable. She enjoys reading, teaching, and organizing events.

In her words, “One of the best decisions I took in 2019 was to join EducationUSA, they made graduate school application seamless. I got a clearer trajectory of my career and academic goals after I joined EducationUSA”. The opportunity funded program made my dreams come true, she added. What are you waiting for? Join EducationUSA Lagos today. 

Clinton was born a preterm infant in Enugu, Nigeria, the sole surviving child of his parents’ twin sons and the first of three siblings. He holds a first-class Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where he also finished in the top 3% as the Class of 2018 best student in Control Systems. 

As an undergraduate, Clinton was a beneficiary of prestigious scholarships like the MTN Foundation Scholarship and the Agbami Medical and Engineering Professionals Scholarship. During this time, he served in various leadership positions, notably Assistant Technical Coordinator (for a campus guild) and Public Relations Officer (for an electronics club). Clinton was also a volunteer math tutor for a remedial pre-varsity academy and taught college-level math to freshmen and sophomores. Within two years following the award of his baccalaureate, he co-authored four international research papers in top journals and conferences investigating model-based and robust control schemes. 

Outside academia, Clinton is a certified robotics engineer and technology entrepreneur passionate about educating a generation of African roboticists in preparation for Industry 4.0. Recently, working at Nigeria’s premier robotics research center, Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Nigeria (RAIN), Clinton built a ROS-compliant mini ground vehicle prototype with teleoperation and obstacle-avoidance features targeted at robotics enthusiasts. At RAIN, he also worked with a team to develop a modular ground robot platform and a quadrotor drone. Currently, he runs Kognitive Robotics, a robotics startup he co-founded to change the face of robotics in Africa by creating advanced all-inclusive robotics products and curated learning resources.

In the summer of 2020, Clinton was selected for the EducationUSA OFP program, which marked a game-changing point in his postgraduate aspirations. Through the expert mentorship and guidance offered by the program, he secured a fully funded scholarship for a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Maryland (UMD), College Park. Clinton is currently attending UMD as a Dean’s Fellow and Graduate Research Assistant in the Autonomy, Robotics, and Cognition Lab, where he is conducting research on Learning-Based Control for Autonomous Agents.

In Clinton’s estimation, the EducationUSA experience is unparalleled because you get accurate and timely information about U.S. higher education from the most reliable source there is. What’s more, you also get access to a support system comprising seasoned advisers, mentors, and other high-achieving scholars to guide and motivate you along the way.

Petinrin Damilola is a graduate of Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) Nigeria with First Class Honors in Industrial Chemistry. Damilola graduated as the best student at both department and faculty level with a CGPA of 4.81/5.00. At FUTA, she held leadership role as academic coordinator of her student fellowship where she coordinated and conducted tutorial classes for students. She was also known for being passionate about academics as she provides mentoring services guiding students to achieve excellent academic feat.

During national service, she tutored chemistry classes at the Usman Dan Fodiyo University Staff School and was awarded for her excellent leadership and volunteering services rendered as a trainer during various sensitization programs held by the National Association for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Community Development Group. After her National Service, she went on to continue volunteering with organizations focusing on making contributions to Education and the Environment. She is currently working with her undergraduate project supervisor to publish her first article.

She was selected as an EducationUSA Opportunity Funds Program Scholar in the year 2020. Working closely with the advisors, assigned mentors and fellow scholars, she is securing a fully funded offer at the University of Kentucky where she began pursuing her doctorate degree in Chemistry with research interest in Environmental Chemistry.

Being an Opportunity Funds Scholar is what she describes as a golden opportunity which has paved the way for her to achieve her goals. This life-time opportunity has also broadened her mind to dream more because she believes that if one can picture those goals, 'stand on the shoulders' of amazing Mentors and Advisors at EducationUSA, and strive hard, then those goals are achievable.

A native of Orsu LGA in Imo State, Ekene Ezeunala was born and raised in Lagos State. He is the first and only son of a family of five. In his high school, he excelled both within and outside his classes, developing the reputation of being a regular representative for Lagos State in multiple STEM competitions including the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Science Quiz and the Junior Engineers, Technicians and Scientists (JETS) Quiz Competition, often placing tops or ranking among the top five students in the nation.

Although he served efficiently as the Senior Prefect of the large student body of his high school, he was almost always referred to by teachers and students alike as Prof. or the even fonder Prof. Euler, the latter a testament to how – and he will confess that this is true – obsessed he was with mathematician Leonhard Euler during his secondary school days. As a high-schooler, Ekene won individual medals from multiple renowned math competitions including the American Mathematics Competition 12 and the Mathematical Kangaroo, his favorites. At school, he created a math club called the Riemann Math Circle for enthusiasts who enjoyed exploring the subject and served as the President of the JETS Club.

After graduating from secondary school, he took a gap year during which he spent some time conducting predictive research (using advanced data analysis methods) on the spread of the coronavirus, publishing a research paper with other collaborators. He also volunteered at the Mathematics for Life Foundation, where he helped run a global mathematics competition smoothly. 

Ekene is passionate about thinking about the world, and especially thinking about the origins, nature, and behavior of those very things which we commonly regard as trivial. His favorite quote? Well, he doesn’t have one, as he holds so many quotes in high regard. However, one very motivational one for him goes thus: “No! Try not! Do. Or do not. There is no try.”

Ekene received a full ride from Columbia University in the City of New York, where he began studying Computer Science and Mathematics beginning from fall 2021.

Emmanuel Ayo Oluwarotimi is the first child of his family with three siblings. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba-Akoko in 2016, where he finished top of his class with a First-Class Honours. He was influential among his peers and known for his selfless service to promote academic excellence by organizing and facilitating free tutorial classes. His astute and excellent leadership skills earned him several leadership positions as an undergraduate. 

During his National Youth Service year in 2017, He worked as a Graduate Assistant at the University Library, University of Jos, Plateau state. Emmanuel was awarded for his exceptional leadership (General Secretary) during his service with the Peer Educator Trainer’s community development group and the Nigeria Christian Corpers’ Fellowship. In 2019, He completed his Master’s (MS) degree program in Biochemistry (with a distinction grade) from the University of Lagos. After his MS, Emmanuel joined his Alma Mata as a volunteer research assistant, where he collaboratively worked to publish four peer-reviewed articles in reputable international journals.

Emmanuel was selected in 2020 as an EducationUSA Opportunity Funds Program (OFP) Scholar. Working with EducationUSA Lagos, he secured a fully funded Chemistry Ph.D. into four Universities in the US. He is currently attending the Missouri University of Science & Technology, where he is joining the Bio-Nanotechnology Research Lab. He hopes to explore the application of bio-nanotechnology in biomedicine to produce novel nanomedicines as cancel therapy and to design smart biomaterials in biosensing. 

He describes his experience as an OFP scholar with EducationUSA Lagos as the game-changer and one of the most exciting experiences of his life. He believes the graduate school dream is possible with the EducationUSA team - providing the best human resources (EducationUSA Advisors), supportive mentors, and inspiring team members present. With this community, he has learned to remain optimistic, to stay focused, and to keep learning on the growth path. He looks forward to joining other EducationUSA mentors to help aspiring students actualize their dream.

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.