A Nigerian man who used to sell mangoes succeeds and receives six PhD scholarships to the United States without a master’s degree.
AFRICA | Despite lacking a master’s degree, a young Nigerian guy named Onyeka Chukwudozie has overcome all obstacles to obtain six fully financed PhD scholarships in the United States.
Onyeka faced many obstacles on her path to academic achievement. He sold mangoes and regional beverages at markets and by the side of the road as a child to help support his family.
He persisted in believing that education was the key to a better future in spite of his difficulties.At the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Onyeka earned a First-Class degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology in 2016.
He had a strong desire to pursue graduate courses overseas because he was passionate about research. But there were many challenges along the way.
Onyeka applied to numerous colleges for three years, but despite his publications, research expertise, and stellar academic record, he was repeatedly turned down. He was frustrated because a large number of these rejections came from low- to mid-tier colleges.
The majority of these rejections came from middle-class to lower-class schools, but I persisted. Actually, I intensified my search and applied to prestigious universities, and I was accepted,” he stated.
When Onyeka received six fully financed PhD offers from prominent universities, including the University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego), Rice University, Purdue University, the University of Kansas, and the University of Melbourne, Australia, his persistence finally paid off.
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Looking back on his accomplishment, Onyeka characterized his path as one filled with joy, patience, optimism, tears, and rejections.
When I was younger, I helped my family put food on the table by selling mangoes and regional beverages at markets and by the side of the road. Six PhD scholarships were awarded to that same youngster today,” he remarked.
Out of his six offers, Onyeka decided to enroll in UC San Diego, a world-renowned research university, to pursue his PhD in Biological Sciences (Virology).
He was really appreciative of his parents, his encouraging friends, and—above all—EducationUSA, which was instrumental in helping him with the application process.
Despite coming from a poor family, I remained determined to use science to transform the world. He remarked, “Those positive inner voices that always cheer me up when I return late from hawking and still burn the candles during my college years have come true.”
Other students dealing with comparable difficulties were urged by Onyeka to persevere and maintain their faith in their goals.
Your aspirations are legitimate. Your tears of rejection are bottled up by God in his calculation. He remarked, “One day you’ll look back, sigh, and appreciate the redirections rather than the rejections you’ve had.”
