13 Applications, One Yes: The Persistence Behind a Global Opportunity | Dymphna Marie Nyuytirwir

It all started with a single Message in the Open Dreams Scholars WhatsApp Forum on the 25th of April 2025

All I wanted was to learn how to write essays and other letters so I could personally write mine….

With a lot of fear and with the dreams I had for myself, I had to overcome the fear and seek help in the #OpenDreams WhatsApp forum despite not being an active member then

Successfully, I got a response and was lucky to have had a good mentor with whom I had never met physically, but he selflessly agreed to guide me through till I got a Master’s scholarship. A big shout-out to Ndongkeh Nelson Maineh 

Fast forward to when I started applications, applied to 8 different schools for the Chinese government scholarship and 5 non-Chinese government scholarships, making it a total of 13 different applications.

All I longed, prayed, and wished for was just a single acceptance out of the 13.

On the 12th of March 2026, I received an e-mail that I was shortlisted for an interview at JILIN AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY in China for the CHINESE GOVERNMENT SCHOLARSHIP.

Fast forward again to when I got the interview, received my admission letters, applied for and got my Visa approved, and here I am todayyyy.

I must end by saying, “IT PAYS TO APPLY”.

You may have to place a hundred applications just for a single acceptance.

Dymphna Marie Nyuytirwir | Open Dreams