By: Abdulrasaq Kamaldeen
Before the clock struck noon, Oyinlola Abdulsamad Ayomide, a Linguistics graduate from the MELL Department, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, anxiously checked his Gmail for news on his scholarship applications.
Known for his relentless pursuit of academic excellence, he had pinned his hopes on this particular message.
As he scanned the screen, his heart sank. The words he dreaded were there—rejection, once again casting a shadow over his aspirations.
Hailing from Offa in Kwara State, Abdulsamad graduated in 2021 with a Second Class Lower degree in Linguistics, earning a GPA of 3.38/5.0.
For him, rejection has been a constant companion in his journey, but Abdulsamad remains resolute. Undeterred by his past declines, he continues to apply, driven by the hope that one day his persistence will pay off.
He said, “In 2021, I applied for four different university scholarships, but I only got accepted from the University of Benningham with no funding. I got rejected from three other universities.”
“ That same year, I went for an interview in Lagos with West Nigeria University with a funding package, but my application was rejected. I am not financially buoyant, but I need a scholarship to further my education.”
Persistence Leads to Success
Speaking with The News Digest Press, Abdulsamad noted that after submitting numerous applications, his persistence led to success.
“ One day I noticed another message in my Gmail account. Given the many rejections I had received, I felt hesitant to open it. To my surprise, the message was a positive one from Texas Technology University (TTU) that I won a scholarship.”
Expressing further, Abdulsamad maintained that he was awarded a Graduate Part-time Instructor (GPTI) scholarship by the Department of English at TTU. This scholarship includes a teaching assistantship where he will be responsible for teaching a First-Year Writing class and taking additional classes to enhance his teaching skills.
“The scholarship I won is a GPTI scholarship. Graduate Part-Time Instructor which comes with a fully funded position that takes care of my full cost of attendance. My tuition is covered, my health insurance is covered and I have a monthly stipend for my living expenses.”
Build Yourself, Build Portfolio, and Volunteer— Abdulsamad advises
Advising the undergraduate students, Abdulsamad emphasized the importance of building a career while still on campus.
“Try as much as possible to get information. I was well informed, and Munir Yakub is always there for me, he is my biggest motivation,” he advised.
“ Give your best, dive into research experience, and don’t give someone to write your project because it is good to know his knowledge; you might be interviewed about it while searching for scholarships.”
Danfodite Shines More to The World
Another Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto (UDUS) alumnus, Idris Yusuf Ayub, who graduated with a 4.59 CGPA from the Department of Forestry and Environment, has a similar tale of rejection to Abdulsamad.
According to him, he won a fully funded Mastercard Foundation Scholarship, for a Master of International Forestry at the University of British Columbia. But before securing the scholarship, he faced numerous rejections.
In his words: “It all started when I began my National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Niger state. I applied for over 10 scholarships, which I met their requirements, got five rejections, and was congratulated on the 6th one. I know good things don’t come easy.
“ I was never demotivated by the failures because I knew I met up to the requirements and never stopped praying. I was confident in every application I submitted and Allah granted me the best among them.”
Idris advised students to graduate with at least 2:1, gain community service experience, and build good rapport with their lecturers.
His words: “Well, I’ll say that students should focus on their studies and graduate with a very good CGPA, first-class preferably; if not, 2.1 isn’t bad as well.
“Engaging in community service is very important; scholars give vehement recognition to those with community service experience because you may not believe it if I tell you that the two recommendation letters I submitted for my scholarship were from organizations I volunteered for.”
He added, “They should also have a good rapport with their lecturers; I know how mine helped me, and I’ll forever owe Prof. Shamaki for what he has done for me in my scholarship pursuit.”