AFRICA | A young Nigerian man builds his GPA from 2.21 in 100 level to graduating with honors, wins 14 scholarships to US and Europe Universities
A young Nigerian man named John Eso has achieved exceptional success despite facing numerous academic setbacks.
His journey from a 2.21 GPA in his first year at the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) to graduating with honors and securing 14 scholarships to prestigious universities in the US and Europe is a testament to perseverance, resilience, and an unwavering pursuit of excellence.
Narrating his experience on LinkedIn, John shared how his academic journey started with significant struggles. In his first semester, he performed poorly, despite having a clear vision of his goals.
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His ambition was to develop himself and acquire valuable skills for his career, but his lack of a strong foundation in mathematics and physics from high school greatly impacted his performance as an Agricultural and Environmental Engineering major.
Determined to turn things around, John put in long hours of study, attended numerous tutorials, sought help from brilliant classmates, hired a math instructor, and watched countless YouTube tutorials.
While his colleagues were excelling with A’s, he struggled to move from D’s to C’s. Even friends questioned his efforts, asking why he was not getting better results despite showing up every day. However, he remained steadfast.
Over time, his dedication paid off. He gradually improved, transitioning from a D student to a C student, then to a B student, and eventually to an A student. He excelled in Engineering Mathematics and other tough courses, even achieving a perfect 5.00 GPA in one semester, ultimately graduating with a Second Class Upper (Honors) degree.
But John’s hunger for knowledge did not stop there. He dreamed of combining Engineering, Technology, and Business to create meaningful solutions, which led him to pursue graduate studies abroad.
His application journey began in late 2022, and while he received multiple admission offers from prestigious institutions, securing funding remained a major challenge.
For the Fall 2023 admission cycle, he applied to several universities, including New York University, Illinois Institute of Technology, Queen’s University Belfast, University of Salento, Case Western Reserve University, University of Illinois at Chicago, Princeton University, and Johns Hopkins University.
While he faced multiple rejections, he also secured a 50% merit-based scholarship and a Graduate Research Assistantship from Johns Hopkins University. Undeterred, he persisted in his pursuit.
In Spring 2024, he applied to the University of Florida and the University of Virginia but faced rejection again. One of the hardest moments came when a professor at Florida, whose research aligned perfectly with his interests, ghosted him without an explanation.
Refusing to give up, John expanded his application strategy for Fall 2025. He meticulously researched 152 Civil Engineering programs in the US, visited each school’s website, and sent over 500 cold emails and follow-ups to professors, graduate coordinators, and department heads.
His persistence led to life-changing opportunities. He secured multiple fully funded offers from Johns Hopkins University, Rice University, the University of Southern California, Ohio State University, Iowa State University, Oregon State University, the University of Nevada Reno, the University of New Hampshire, the University of Hawaii, and Texas A&M University in the United States.
By Spring 2025, John had built an impressive academic profile, strengthening his chances of success. He published four research papers, earned over 20 certifications, and gained significant research, teaching, and professional experience.
With a much stronger application, he secured a fully funded PhD offer from North Carolina State University (NCSU) in the United States. Reflecting on his journey, John expressed immense gratitude to his professors, family, and friends who supported him through the toughest times.
He acknowledged the sacrifices, the countless rejections, and the relentless effort it took to reach this milestone. He emphasized that success is not solely about talent but about showing up, putting in the work, and refusing to give up.
To everyone in similar situation, John urge them to keep pushing forward, keep failing, and one day, they will show up for success.
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