Failing Forward, Rising Strong: My Path to UC Berkeley with Open Dreams | Pechuqui Laurata

My journey to the University of California, Berkeley, was a whirlwind of obstacles, delays, and unexpected turns, but through it all, Grace was ever-present. I vividly remember speaking to Afungfege Evita in September 2024. That day, something deep inside nudged me to call her. As we talked, I blurted, “Evita, I think my time has come.” She was surprised, after all, she had been encouraging me for years to join Open Dreams (OD), and I’d always thought, “OD is for intelligent people… not me.” My low self-esteem almost crushed my dream. But Evita said, “Berkeley will truly match what you’ve been doing,” and in that instant, my spirit aligned with my dream. I felt a surge of certainty and excitement; Berkeley felt like home before I even applied.

The fun twist? Evita received an email from Berkeley: applications would open the very next day! Fate and destiny, if you ask me. I dove into my essays, polished by Evita’s meticulous edits and with invaluable support from another OD scholar, Daphne Chebesi. I submitted early, conviction burning in me that I would get in. Evita gently urged me to apply elsewhere too, but I was adamant, Berkeley was it for me.

March 1st, 2025, exactly at 4:00 PM, the admissions email arrived. I was overjoyed, but the bigger challenge awaited: the MasterCard Scholarship. Essays written, edited again by Evita, and I advanced to the next round. Then came the frustrating hurdle: booking the interview. Days of attempts failed until a MasterCard staff member stepped in to secure my slot. With guidance from Animbom Odette, whose interview prep was meticulous, and my own relentless passion, I finally shone. On April 3rd, 2025, my life changed forever. I received the scholarship on my very first attempt! Grace, indeed!

Even amid my triumph, new challenges emerged. IELTS loomed over me; I had to take it multiple times. Through this ordeal, I learned a crucial lesson: failing is okay. Finally passing IELTS should have been the end, but the visa interview was put on temporary hold. Anxiety tormented me for weeks. I blamed myself: had I passed IELTS sooner, none of this would have happened. I became obsessively glued to my phone, following every update. Yet God, who makes the impossible possible, came through. With Mr. Akaba James’ calm guidance and support, handling everything from visa to accommodation and meals, I finally booked my appointment. Words cannot express my gratitude to him, especially during the very difficult time when there was a whole suspension of F1 visa bookings; the wait for the booking system to reopen was almost eternal.

Suzie Agatha, Pechuqui Laurata, and Favour Fri Fon - Part of the UC Berkeley, California Open Dreams Family

After clearing these hurdles, I secured my visa. Nothing could stop me until Turkey. I landed ready to board for San Francisco, only to see my flight already departing. For a moment, it felt like defeat had won. I reached out to Evita, my mom, and family - and the rest of the Open Dreams Team; their encouragement kept me moving. Turkey Airlines rebooked my plane but couldn’t escort me to their hotel due to visa restrictions. While other passengers left for the hotel, I was stuck in a nap zone, without a washroom, and expected to survive on a meal voucher for two days. Turkey has one of the biggest airports in the world, and to me, I felt like I deserved better. However, a staff member from Turkey told me to sleep in a napzone with no shower for two days.

Thanks to the MasterCard Foundation, I finally had a comfortable cabin to stay in. On the 20th of August 2025, I departed Turkey, heart racing with anticipation. Landing in San Francisco, I felt an overwhelming mix of relief, gratitude, and awe. God had sent real-life angels to guide me, and I will forever cherish their support.

At last, on the UC Berkeley Campus!

The Ubuntu spirit in Cameroon mirrors the Open Dreams ethos: we rise by helping each other. Here at Berkeley, I met inspiring people, including Favour and friends from Ashesi University, Ghana, attending a month-long program. Open Dreams scholars are spreading their wings like never before, and I am loving every moment of it!

It's crazy that I have shared my story and I did not mention what I'm studying up until now.  Well well well, I am pursuing a Master's in Journalism with a focus in documentary filmmaking at the University of California, Berkeley. My journey would not be complete without my Open Dreams family, and I'm forever grateful.

• Pechuqui Laurata

  ... Footnote

• The Open Dreams Graduate Summit is set to hold in Yaounde from August 29th - 30th, 2025. Click on this link to register.

• Evita Afungfege (as mentioned in the blog post) is a Senior Program Official at Open Dreams, currently co-leading Graduate Mentorship Programs. She is a Commonwealth Scholar in the UK. She formerly served as the Regional Program Coordinator for the North West Region Cameroon.

• Daphne Chebesi is an Open Dreams Graduate Scholar from the University of Edinburgh, UK