From Rejection to Resilience: Ishaq's Scholarship Journey

In 2019, I applied for my first international scholarship—the Pan-African Scholarship to study in Kenya. It didn’t work out. Neither did several other applications that followed. Rejection stung, but it taught me a vital lesson: this journey wasn’t meant to be easy.

Instead of giving up, I rolled up my sleeves. With invaluable advice from mentors like Hamza and fellow scholars, I shifted my focus to building my profile. While pursuing my master’s degree, I immersed myself in research, sought out hands-on experience, and devoured every opportunity to grow.

I tapped into online courses, attended webinars, and leveraged resources shared in academic communities to sharpen my expertise. Every "no" became fuel to improve, adapt, and keep pushing.

To anyone facing setbacks in their scholarship or career journey: Don’t let rejection define you. Let it refine you. Build relentlessly, learn continuously, and trust that persistence will open the right doors.

Today, Ishaq Nuhu Abubakar is currently in the United States of America pursuing his PhD in Biological Science at Wayne State University.

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