I remember it as if it were yesterday-a cold Wednesday morning in August 2017. I was standing before an American consular officer and waiting for this one big answer; a YES. I had figured out the answers to every question I believe a consular officer could ask and knew nothing could possibly go wrong. For a moment it seemed liked a mild surreal as I heard the consular officer say, “Sorry, I can’t grant you a visa”. His words echoed painfully within me and I felt devastated and hopeless.
Two years before this scenario, I had been applying to numerous American Colleges/Universities. Having gone through the stressful application processes accompanied and receiving NOs hadn’t been an easy ride for me. I won’t forget the long period when there was an Internet blackout in Bamenda in the heart of the political crisis, leaving me with no choice than to relocate in Yaoundé, to continue with application process. So being accepted into JWU with the scholarship package it offered, I was certain that I had seen the light at the end of the tunnel. But after receiving the NO from the Embassy, I felt my world came crumbling and my dreams crushing. I got myself confined in a world of pain, but that wasn’t the end.
This whole ordeal came with the necessary force, strength, determination and resilience I needed to becoming a success. I told myself that I wouldn’t let the NO break down the strong girl I am. Telling myself there were/are more opportunities (bigger ones) out there for me if I aim high and do not limit myself to the pains I was enduring. I enrolled into ESTIS, a University in Yaoundé, to study Computer Engineering. Though I started class late, with determination, hard work and self-confidence, I remained top (first) in my class. I had access to a great Microsoft Company Facility for internship where I gained and gave out knowledge in my field of study and enjoyed a very enriching experience.
The greatest lesson I have learned from my Experience is NO IS JUST A HIDDEN WAY OF SAYING YES YOU CAN MAKE IT. You just need to step up, be determined, work hard, be resilient, be innovative, be an inspiration, be creative, burn your midnight candle and no matter where you are in the world, success is at your doorstep and you can make it.
If great men like Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, Nelson Mandela, Bill Gates, and Ben Carlson could still make it after a series of failures and NOs, then any determined person can!