Nigerian Man who Once Hawked Mangoes and Drinks Achieves Success, Bags 6 PhD Scholarships Abroad
- A Nigerian man identified as Onyeka S. Chukwudozie has bagged six PhD scholarships abroad after countless rejections
- Onyeka took to his LinkedIn page to disclose that he once hawked mangoes and local drinks in markets to assist his family
- The young man is starting his PhD in biological sciences (virology) at the University of California, San Diego
PAY ATTENTION: Click “See First” under the “Following” tab to see Legit.ng News on your Facebook News Feed!
A Nigerian man identified as Onyeka S. Chukwudozie has taken to social media to celebrate his achievements after bagging six PhD scholarships abroad.
Taking to his LinkedIn page, Onyeka who graduated with a first class from the University of Lagos said he has started his PhD in biological sciences (virology) at the University of California, San Diego.
Source: UGC
How it all started
The scholarships didn't come on a platter of gold for the young man who disclosed that there were countless rejections over the years.
Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through info@corp.legit.ng!
According to him, despite the number of publications and research experience, his applications were unsuccessful.
In his words:
"Honestly, it’s a three-year journey that entails tears, rejections, hope, patience and joy. After graduating in 2016 with a first class from the prestigious University of Lagos, it was my dream to pursue a graduate studies.
"I had countless rejections, despite the number of publications and research experience. Most of these rejections were mostly from low to middle tier schools, but I kept the perseverance. In fact, I heightened my quest and applied to top schools, and got in."
He finally actualised his dream
Onyeka never gave up and finally got scholarships from top universities which include University of California San Diego, Rice University, two offers from Purdue University, University of Kansas and University of Melbourne, Australia.
In his words:
"These came after countless and painful rejections over the years."
His motivation secrets to achieving a first class in university
Speaking with Legit.ng's Tunde Ososanya, the young man said he came from a very poor family in which he's the first person to be a university graduate. He is also the first person in his paternal family to start a PhD.
He said his background motivated him to succeed in life, adding that he knew education was his escape from poverty.
Onyeka noted that he balanced his academic life with his religious and social lives.
In his words:
"One of the best ways I learn is interaction with people. And when I mean people, I mean people of diverse ideologies, people of different mindsets. It doesn't have to be people who are academically sound."
According to Onyeka, he had good rapport with mentors and would always ask his lecturers questions.
On why he chose UC San Diego over other scholarships, he said the university is ranked number eight in the world for biological sciences and it's known for conducting STEM research.
In his words:
"Secondly, they have a number of virologists, so there's so many options of faculties to work with. And again, I love California."
The young man hawked mangoes
Onyeka said he once hawked mangoes and local drinks in markets and roadside to assist his family in putting food on the table.
The young man expressed gratitude to his parents for believing in him. He also thanked his friends and mentors for their support.
Education USA made Onyeka's dream come true and the young man expressed his gratitude to the latter.
He advised people experiencing rejections in their scholarship applications to keep trying and never to give up.
According to him, applicants should ensure that all the materials they need are in place and the application shouldn't be rushed.
Young Nigerian man bags scholarship for PhD in US
In similar news, a Nigerian man identified as Emmanuel Osuagwu earlier celebrated bagging a scholarship for his PhD in Materials Science at Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, United States.
Emmanuel said his success was made possible by God who provided him with mentors, sponsors and advisors at each stage of the process.
In his words:
"Reflecting on where it all started, my first point of reference occurred in 2018 with my Laboratory Manager, Mr. Emmanuel Okuhon at Mobil Oil Apapa."
Source: Legit.ng
