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Emmanuel Nworie, a first-class Mathematics graduate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, who went viral in 2020 and received a scholarship for a PhD programme, has spoken on his experience on arriving in USA.
Speaking in an interview with The Punch, he said he felt at peace knowing that he would no longer have to bother about the numerous insecurity challenges plaguing Nigeria.
Read excerpts of the interview below:
Is it true you received a scholarship for a PhD in the US?
It is a scholarship because I was offered admission for a PhD programme with a teaching assistantship position. The school is Southern Methodist University, a prominent school in Dallas, Texas, and the course is Computational and Applied Mathematics.
Can you explain how you got the scholarship and the process you went through?
To get admitted to most schools in the United States, one needs to show their level of proficiency in English and so, they are expected to provide a proof of that by taking the Test of English as a Foreign Language or International English Language Testing System.
However, to beat off challenges from other students, someone applying for certain courses needs to take an extra exam called the Graduate Records Examination. These things I did. I applied to the over 12 schools with the help of Dr Michael Taiwo (the man who hosts the MTScholarship that covered my test fees and application fees) and a mentor, Dr Busayo Aworunse, and submitted all the required documents, including the test scores and personal statement, not forgetting the letters of recommendation. The schools that felt I was fit for their programme accepted me and I chose the best among them.
Having achieved this a few months after your interview went viral, how did you feel when the scholarship was announced to you?
Anyone given an opportunity to do what they enjoy doing would surely be happy. I was glad, especially because I had the option of choosing from a number of offers.
Well, sometimes when I look at the Nigerian media and their reportage, I cry because some don’t get to write exactly what happened but what they feel people need to hear. This is where I feel The PUNCH is different. My first interview published in PUNCH newspaper shows they are different and I commend them for that.
It’s probably your first time in the US. What was the first thing that came to your mind when you arrived?
Immediately I arrived at the airport, I felt peace. Though with high expectations from the United States, I knew one thing: there won’t be banditry here; no herders, killing, no Boko Haram, no kidnapping – having to know you can walk on the streets and you are not scared at all times and a lot more.
