Someone you know has left or is planning to leave. 1,000 Ways To Japa will speak to real people and explore the infinite number of reasons and paths they use to get to Japa
Alero* (27) has always wanted to seek greener pastures in the United States of America, but after 10 years of rejection and disappointment, she nearly gave up. In this story, she shares how she gave her dream one last try and what she did differently to secure a full scholarship to study in the US.
Where do you currently live, and when did you move out of Nigeria?
I live in the United States of America, and I left Nigeria in 2024 for grad school.
Congratulations!
Thank you. I’ve just always wanted to move to the US. The funniest part is that I had been trying to move for nearly ten years before it finally happened. I had received rejection letters and disappointments for years, and I was this close to giving up completely.
Ten years is crazy. What did you do differently to secure the scholarship to study in the USA in 2024?
At first, I couldn’t figure out why I was constantly rejected until my friend helped me figure it out in 2023 by asking who was writing my recommendation letters to these schools. As much as some people try to underestimate those letters, they matter.
I had to re-strategise and devise a new plan. I changed how I wrote my statement of purpose and became more intentional about my recommendation letter. I made sure that those letters weren’t generic; they spoke about my journey, leadership skills, and best qualities. Then, I also edited my academic CV to stand out from other applications.
It was a tough season for me because there were people I thought I could rely on during the application process who ended up leaving my life. I lost so many friendships and experienced heartbreak, but looking back at it now, I see that God was trying to remove the relationships that were no longer serving me and teach me that He’s all the help I’d ever need.
So, if you ask me what I did differently, it’s completely changing my strategy and trusting God. After that, I applied to only one school, and I secured full funding.
I love that for you! What tips would you recommend for Nigerians who are exploring similar opportunities?
You need to focus on three major things with precision and intentionality: your statement of purpose, your CV or resume, and your letters of recommendation. For your statement of purpose, just be as intentional as possible. Talk about your background, what led you to choose that program, your work experiences, and the significant events that have shaped you to be the person you’ve become. It’s also important to talk about why you chose that school in a clear and precise way. It’s always a great idea to eliminate vagueness.
Your CV should also reflect your background, interests, research experience and the roles you’ve taken related to the course of study. It’s always an advantage to have traceable research experience. Your university thesis or final-year project can qualify as one.
Then, for your reference letter, you should be intentional about choosing people willing to write extensively about you. Going to your project supervisor for this is always a great idea. Let them talk aboutyour academic ability, your leadership experience, your publication and how you were able to solve specific problems.
Can you share some schools in the US that you’d recommend, especially for Nigerians?
If you’re up to it, I recommend Ivy League schools like Yale, Cornell, Columbia, and the University of Pennsylvania. Then there are also the R1 universities, which are really big on research. I can’t name all of them right now, but honestly, people just need to research to decide which schools tick their boxes.
What does your life look like now that you’re in your dream country?
Moving here has made me realise that I’m a person of colour. We’re all the same colour back home, but here, I find myself in class just looking at my skin and realising how different I am from everybody else.
Even things like food and spelling here are different. American English is nothing like British English. Once, I was in an Uber and asked the driver to open the boot because I wanted to put my box inside. She was so confused until I pointed at what I was referring to, and she was like, “Oh, you mean the trunk?”
Then there’s the time difference. You want to talk to friends and family back home, but it’s either too early or too late. It also gets lonely here. Even as introverted as I am, the loneliness sometimes gets too much.
Also, I live in a Predominantly White Institution (PWI). So, sometimes, I don’t feel like myself. Maybe if I lived in a city with more people of my race, I’d feel more at home.
And then there are all those annoying questions like “How did you learn to speak English so well?” It’s tiring.
I’m sorry about that. In what ways has this move changed your life?
Honestly, I wasn’t in a good mental or emotional state before I left Nigeria. I feel like God knew I wasn’t ready to move when I was rejected. You see all those stories of people who relocate and suddenly slump or crash? They are more common than you think. Mental health here is a big deal. And I believe that before I moved, God was preparing me. I started working on my mental health because I knew the transition would be hard.
So, I’d say my life even changed before I landed here. I’d already done the inner work and let go of people I didn’t need anymore, so I wasn’t too overwhelmed when the culture shocks started. I had already trained my mind to be strong overall, and I’ve changed a lot. I’m calmer, nicer, and more hopeful now.
There’s a system that guarantees that you at least have basic amenities here, so that makes life easier. The taxes here are no joke, but at least you know where the money goes. The education system is also really solid; that’s why so many Nigerians here are doctors, surgeons, and engineers. The system is designed to help you succeed if you’re focused.
On a scale of one to ten, how happy are you in your new country?
I’d say ten. I’m happy because this has been my dream since I was a child. However, I still miss home a lot.
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