Against all odds, Zaynab Agboola made history as the only female first-class graduate in her department, securing fully funded scholarships abroad after overcoming multiple rejections.
Zaynab Agboola made history as the only female first-class graduate in the Department of Agricultural Engineering and Biosystems at the University of Ilorin. In a class of 92 students, she stood out not only for her academic excellence but also for her resilience and determination. Her outstanding performance earned her multiple international scholarships, including fully funded opportunities in Turkey and the United Kingdom.
Her journey to success was anything but easy. While excelling academically, she also took on leadership roles, serving as Vice President of the Faculty of Engineering & Technology and actively volunteering with JCI. Balancing these responsibilities with the demands of an engineering degree required immense dedication and perseverance. Despite the challenges, she remained committed to her goals and ultimately achieved what no one in her family had before.
Zaynab’s hard work paid off when she secured several prestigious scholarships. She was awarded a fully funded scholarship from the Turkish government, another from Campus France Nigeria, and a partial scholarship from the University of Roehampton, UK. After careful consideration, she chose the Turkish government scholarship, which covered tuition, accommodation, visa and flight fees, health insurance, and a monthly stipend.
However, the path to securing these scholarships was filled with setbacks. Within six months, she applied for ten different scholarships, facing multiple rejections and unfunded admission offers. Instead of giving up, she used each rejection as motivation to improve her applications, knowing that all she needed was one big “yes”—which finally came.
Encouraging aspiring scholars, Zaynab shared that rejections are a natural part of the journey but should never be a reason to give up. She urged others to stay persistent, believe in their dreams, and keep striving for success. Her story is a powerful reminder that perseverance and hard work can turn setbacks into stepping stones.