My Scholarship Story/Journey by Shadrach Nengenen Mbativga

My scholarship journey started in the year 2019 after meeting with Dr. Samuel Ogbara who had recently completed his Ph.D. from Malaysia on a scholarship. He urged me to consider applying for scholarships for my advanced degree. One of my immediate reactions was "Well sir, that sounds great but I am not sure I have someone to facilitate or influence my chances of a winning a scholarship". I said this with an old-time notion that one must have a political relative or a friend to one to be able to win a scholarship from Nigeria to study abroad. Dr. Ogbara immediately dismissed that notion and made me to understand I could win multiple scholarships without any politician or even passing through the Nigeria government.

Later that year and early 2020 after that meeting with Dr. Ogbara, I started surfing the Internet to surf for scholarship opportunities because I strongly felt it was a possibility. I shared the interest with a friend and he advised me to contact Mr. Joseph Tsenum, the Executive Director of New Life Research Foundation (NELIREF), who was studying in Russia on a scholarship at the time. I collected his mobile number from my friend and chatted him up straightaway. Mr. Tsenum was happy to hear my interest and immediately started sending me some information about the Russian Open Doors Olympiad scholarship with some tips to submit a strong application. He wanted me to apply in 2020 but I felt incompetent and ill-prepared. I spent the rest of 2020 struggling to get my academic transcripts from my alma mater and to acquire some online certifications. In late 2020 and 2021 I ventured applying for different scholarships and funding opportunities abroad. But due to my inexperience and being a novice, I received an overwhelming number of rejections. There was nothing more discouraging! [Full story includes details about rejections and eventual success at Tennessee Tech University] My encouragement to someone reading this who might be facing rejections and discouragement is to not give up. Giving up is not the way to win anything. Persistence is what God rewards. I believe He rewarded me finally because I could only trace it to Him. I appreciate the great efforts and role of NELIREF in my scholarship journey. May the good Lord reward the team for the great job they are doing.