Oluwabunmi Amosu is a Nigerian lady who has achieved remarkable feats in her academic journey. She recently graduated with a Master of Arts degree in Education and Society from McGill University in Canada with a 100% record, meaning she scored A+ in all her courses. She also won a scholarship to pursue a PhD in the same field at the same university.
Amosu’s story is one of resilience, determination and excellence. She graduated with first-class honours in Business Administration and Management from Lagos State University in 2017. After many failed attempts at securing a scholarship to study abroad, she was finally awarded two fully-funded scholarships — Commonwealth Shared Scholarship and Mastercard Foundation Scholarship — in March 2020. She, however, opted for the Mastercard Foundation Scholarship to pursue her master’s degree at McGill University in Canada. She was among the two Nigerians who were selected for the scholarship.
Amosu faced many challenges as an international student, especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic that disrupted the normal academic activities. She had to adapt to online learning, cope with the time difference, deal with isolation and manage her mental health. However, she did not let these difficulties stop her from pursuing her goals. She worked hard, sought help when needed, connected with her classmates and professors, and maintained a positive attitude.
“I began to doubt myself two weeks into my program. ‘Am I prepared?’ ‘Is this what I signed up for?’… A lot of thoughts run through my mind,” she said in an interview with Kuulpeeps, a Ghanaian campus news and lifestyle site. “I began to doubt my capabilities at one point, but after connecting with some of my classmates, I realized I wasn’t alone. At least, practically everyone feels this way, which relieves some of the burden. I also had some encouraging professors who helped me get through my first (Fall) term.”
Amosu successfully completed her first year as a graduate student and went on to ace her second year as well. She received glowing feedback from her professors and peers for her outstanding performance and contributions. She also received an offer to continue her studies at the doctoral level with full funding from the university.
Amosu is passionate about entrepreneurship, education, and young people, especially girls. Her vision is to support the development of intervention programs in achieving quality, accessible and equitable education to ensure lifelong learning. She is the founder of Smart Innovation Hub, a non-profit organisation that seeks to educate youngsters especially girls on entrepreneurial skills and promote learning opportunities through quality education.
Amosu is an inspiration to many young Nigerians who aspire to study abroad and make an impact in their fields of interest. She has proven that with hard work, perseverance and faith, anything is possible. She has also shown that Nigerian women are capable of achieving excellence in any endeavour they pursue.
Another inspiration is Mercy Ojetunde. She is a first-class graduate of Microbiology from Osun State University in Nigeria, a 2020 iSI Scholar, a 2021 Commonwealth shared scholar and a doctoral student studying biomedical science at West Virginia University, USA. She is also a research enthusiast with an interest in Vaccinology, Immunology, and Microbial Pathogenesis. She has authored and co-authored nine (9) research publications in peer-reviewed journals, some of which focus on infectious diseases such as COVID-19 and Tuberculosis.
Mercy’s story is one of passion, perseverance and excellence. She was born and raised in a low-income family in Nigeria, where she faced many challenges and limitations. She had to work hard to overcome the barriers of poverty, gender inequality and poor educational infrastructure. She credits her parents for instilling in her the values of hard work, discipline and faith.
“I always had a dream of becoming a scientist since I was a kid. I was fascinated by how microorganisms cause diseases and how we can prevent or treat them. I also wanted to contribute to the advancement of science and humanity. My parents supported me all the way, even though they could not afford to pay for my education. They taught me to believe in myself and to never give up on my dreams.” Mercy said. Want to know more about Mercy? Click here.
Amosu and Mercy deserves to be celebrated for their remarkable achievements and for representing Nigeria positively on the global stage. They are role model for many young Nigerians who look up to her for guidance and motivation.
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