Grad School Buddy

Are you considering a PhD and wondering if that’s your right trajectory? In this episode, Emeka Nwankwo, an associate lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University and a PhD candidate in Digital Politics, sheds light on the various aspects of getting a PhD. 

He discusses maintaining work-life balance, finding graduate school funding, and tackling dissertation writing. 

Guest: Emeka Nwankwo
Co-hosts: Ebelechukwu Monye and Chukwuebuka Amaji

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Searching for graduate school scholarships is daunting. There’s the uncertainty of rejection or failure and the hope of the ultimate prize of success. That’s why we have invited Kyla Denwood, who has secured a fully-funded graduate school scholarship with the enviable opportunity of choosing between Harvard, Georgetown, and Johns Hopkins. 

Kyla is among the roughly four percent of applicants selected for the 2023 Payne Fellowship. In this episode, she discusses discovering the Payne Fellowship, a diversity initiative within the U.S. State Department and USAID. This fellowship gives her a unique opportunity to pursue graduate studies and embark on a career path focused on international development with no financial hassles. 

She offers valuable tips and advice on meticulous preparation, authentic self-presentation, and creating a supportive network of advisors and friends. Tune in to this episode to learn how you, too, can become a recipient of a fully funded, prestigious scholarship award like Kyla’s. 

Guest: Kyla Denwood
Co-host: Chukwuebuka Amaji
Host: Ebelechukwu Monye

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There’s more to being a grad student than lectures and problem sets. Sometimes, an opportunity presents itself where you get to work on practical solutions to world problems. 

Today, the gist is with Ayanfeoluwa Akinbola, Chimwemwe Chibuye, Chidinma Uka, Eric Atiemo, and Rodrigue Birka (AKA members of Team Africa), who were named as finalists in the 9th edition of the Geneva Challenge 2022. This challenge was created for graduate students to find innovative and practical solutions to alleviate poverty. 

Their winning project, the “JACCA Agro-Warehouse Integrated Solutions,” addresses agricultural challenges, particularly those smallholder farmers face. From warehouse solutions to financial mobility in the form of loans, the JACCO Agro-Warehouse Integrated Solutions considers every pitfall smallholders face and offers them practical solutions. 

Listen to this episode to discover what it takes to create a project that wins an international contest or learn more about Team Africa’s project and its role in eradicating agricultural losses in Africa. 

As always, please share this episode with two people you know can create such a spark in their communities. 

Guests: Ayanfeoluwa Akinbola, Rodrigue Birka, Chimwemwe Chibuye, Chidinma Uka and Eric Atiemo.
Co-host: Chukwuebuka Amaji
Host: ebelechukwu monye

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The worry never seems to end when it comes to graduate school. Yesterday, you were overwhelmed by graduate school applications; after that, you worried about getting a study visa. Now you're here, staring at your laptop screen as you try to decipher what's in a Ph.D. dissertation anyway.

If you're in this position or planning for the future, this episode is for you. We're featuring Allen and Lauren, the authors of Ph.Done, a simplified guide on acing your graduate school dissertation. In this episode, we'll explore what it takes to go from ideation to having a finalized and well-defended project. 

Our guests share lessons from their experiences and the experiences of their vast clientele whose Ph.D. progress they are a part of. The lessons from this episode apply to most long and short forms of academic research. Remember to share this with anyone you know working on a dissertation or trying to make sense of their time in graduate school. 

Guests: Allen Roda and Lauren Saunders 
Co-host: Chukwuebuka Amaji
Host: Ebelechukwu Monye

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One day, you’re sitting in one of the best law firms in Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria, living up to your dreams of contributing to cases that spark your heart. The next minute, the spark seems to start diminishing, there’s a global pandemic that literally has everyone at a standstill. 

Today, we are catching up with Imade Iyamu, an MBA candidate at Columbia Business School. In 2019, Imade worked as an associate at Banwo & Ighodalo Legal, a leading law firm in Lagos. Between handling the demands of being a Lagos lawyer and assuaging her conscience that wanted her to be more and do more, she found herself attending info sessions that grad programs had organized in Lagos.

Listen to this episode to see what it takes to create a high-flyer profile and position yourself for your grad school experience while impacting communities you care about. 

Guest: Imade Iyamu
Co-host: Chukwuebuka Amaji
Host: Ebelechukwu Monye

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It's the perfect moment to give you a sneak peek into the inner workings and the people shaping Grad School Buddy. A team that is tirelessly working to provide everything you need to navigate graduate school.

Exciting things are coming in season three; we can't wait to share them with you! So, stay tuned for the content heading your way.

Click the link in my bio to experience the real essence of this season's final episode.

Stay Giddy,

Your Grad School Buddy.

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Have you ever wondered if experienced software engineers should take a break from their careers to pursue a Master’s degree? Valentine Oleka, who has been in the tech industry for almost a decade, offers insights on his decision to do just that by enrolling in a Master’s program in Intelligence Systems and Robotics.

His love for computers and the internet began during his childhood days in Enugu, Nigeria. He has pursued this passion by starting businesses and collaborating on projects with colleagues from Lagos to Germany to the US. Together, they have developed top-notch software and significantly contributed to the tech world.

Discover what has shaped Val’s success as a software engineer and how he has maintained his expertise. Learn about the factors that influenced his decision to pursue graduate school and how this experience has impacted him. Tune in to this episode for answers to these questions and more.

If you enjoy this, don’t forget to share and subscribe. Thanks!

Your Grad School Buddy.

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Younger Andrea, from Caracas, Venezuela, would be proud of who today’s guest grew up to become. Hers is a story of consistency, strategy, and holding on to a childhood dream nurtured by months spent role-playing at the Model United Nations.

She takes us back to high school to explore what this experience meant and how it influenced her college and grad school decisions and led to her current dream job. Our conversation simplifies strategies for navigating the world of finding globally placed, impactful internships and jobs.

Before saying goodbye, she generously provides us with a database of over 1800 global impact firms and helpful tips on using it effectively. Finally, she leaves us with some powerful words on vulnerability - ‘once you find the people that give you that safe space, you never know what will come from it (being vulnerable).

Please listen, share, and subscribe. Thank you!

All my love, 

Your Grad School Buddy.

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Background music credit: Early Avril, “Unicorn Heads.”

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Hey guys, here’s the “Never Say it’s Too Late” to go to graduate school episode you’ve been asking for. Today, Grad School Buddy meets up with Carrie, a detective in New York who decided to go to grad school almost two decades after getting an undergrad.

In this episode of the podcast, she talks about moving from New York to Washington, DC, getting a work-based scholarship to fund her education, and how a ‘leap of faith’ helped her reach her goals.

Carrie has a Master of Arts in Public Management from Georgetown University and a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Production and Management from the state university college in Buffalo. Her story serves as an inspiration to anyone who feels like it’s too late to pursue their dreams.

Listen to this episode if you need light-hearted cheer from an older soul to get you through the many challenges of grad school, and don’t forget to share it with friends and family. 

All my love,

Your Grad School Buddy.

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Today’s episode sheds light on going to grad school in Nigeria. The conversation with both Nnamdi Ohachenu and Chisom Igwilo who are currently studying for a master’s degree in Economics posed a thrilling reveal of how contrasting their experience in grad school is. 

Nnamdi who studies at Nnamdi Azikiwe University (a public school in Nigeria) recounts his day-to-day school life structure, the challenges he faces, and how difficult it was to navigate public school lifestyle after going to private school for his undergrad. 

On the other hand, Chisom talks about how well-structured and accommodating her school is due to the hybrid setting. She studies at a private university in Abuja and she addresses the positive ambience she felt in comparison to her experience as an undergrad in a public university. 

Throughout the episode, it is interesting to observe both of them experience cultural shock as opposed to their backgrounds as undergrads. It highlighted just how relatable and different the day-to-day school life structure is for the average Nigerian student.

Honestly, you have to listen to this episode for the full gist! And share with everyone going through the grad school process.

Cheers!

Grad School Buddy

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