Getting into graduate school has always been a competitive process. Throw in the COVID-19 pandemic and you have today’s impossibly cutthroat process where even the most brilliant students have to justify their inclusion by achieving incredulous feats. With master’s degrees, one can say the process is comparatively docile put beside the hustle for PhD opportunities, especially fully funded ones. That is why it is worth noting when someone lands such an opportunity. And when one person is able to land four of these unicorns like Andrew Okoro has, it is more than worth celebrating.
Andrew Okoro, a young Nigerian man recently shared the news of his new beginning, a Phd program with the University at Albany, State University of New York. He will be pursuing a doctorate in computer science and working at the same time as a graduate research assistant with Unibet lab. But before he settled on the University at Albany, Andrew was accepted into four different PhD programs.
He was accepted into Florida State University, The University of Alabama, Mississippi State University and the University at Albany. The reason for his choice is unknown, but from all indications, Andrew looks to be happy with his choice. He is a past student of the Federal University of Technology in Owerri – Nigeria where he studied for a bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering.
Sharing the news on his LinkedIn, this is what he had to say:
“I got accepted into 4 PhD programs: Florida State University, The University of Alabama, Mississippi State University and University at Albany, State University of New York. Today, I officially begin my PhD program in Computer Science at the University at Albany, SUNY. I would also work as a Graduate Research Assistant in Ubinet lab. Thanks to my advisor Mariya Zheleva, for having faith in me, and Karyn Doke for helping me settle down fast. Special thinks to my lecturers: prof. Damian Dike, Dr. Onyebuchi nosiri, Dr. Samuel Okozi, and Dr. NNAEMEKA ONUEKWUSI for writing solid recommendation letters for me.”
“Thanks to Samuel Adeniyi Adeleye, Chinonso Odebeatu, and all the members of FCL Network who held my hands during the application process. Shout out to Gerald Ogbonna for making my transition into the US a smooth ride. Shout out to Chrisantus Eze, Paschal Amusuo, Chukwuebuka Akwiwu-Uzoma, and Nafisah Abidemi Abdulkadir, for the moral support 😜. I am excited about this phase of my life and I can’t wait to see what it has in store for me. PS: feel free to connect if you’re searching for similar positions.”
his post has since garnered over 3,000 reactions with family and friends expressing how proud they are of him.
