For Lucy Ikpesu-Ewhubare, the journey from a low-income family in Nigeria to becoming a UK-based engineer and scholarship advocate was anything but straightforward.
It was a journey marked by ambition, persistence and repeated rejection. But those setbacks ultimately shaped a mission: to ensure that other young Nigerians do not have to struggle alone to find international education opportunities.
Ikpesu-Ewhubare, founder of ScholarWaka, is passionate about expanding access to global education, particularly for students who may lack the financial resources or guidance needed to pursue opportunities abroad.
Her own experience remains at the heart of that mission.
“I’m just a girl who loves to be different and make an impact,” she said. “I grew up in a low-income family in Nigeria and know first-hand how hard it is to access opportunities abroad without financial means.”
After earning a BEng in Chemical Engineering from Delta State University, where she was a three-year Agbami Chevron Scholar, she pursued opportunities overseas. Following more than 25 scholarship applications and several rejections, she eventually secured a fully funded Commonwealth Master’s Scholarship to study Advanced Chemical Engineering with Energy at the University of Birmingham.
Today, she works as an engineer in the UK, supporting the delivery of the country’s national electricity network plan.
But her professional achievement has not ended her interest in scholarships. Instead, it has strengthened her determination to help others navigate the process.
“I bring insight from both sides of the scholarship process,” she said.
With more than four years of experience as a Scholarship Programme Manager, Ikpesu-Ewhubare has been involved in the recruitment, selection and award of scholarships to African university students across more than 23 institutions.
That experience, combined with her own struggles as an applicant, convinced her that access to information and guidance can make a significant difference.
“That’s exactly why I founded ScholarWaka: to help others navigate the path I once had to find largely on my own,” she said.
One of the misconceptions Ikpesu-Ewhubare wants to challenge is that international scholarships are exclusively for students with first-class degrees.
According to her, academic performance matters, but it is only one part of the equation.
She noted that candidates with 2:1 or 2:2 degrees can win scholarships, while even some third-class graduates may qualify where a scholarship does not impose a specific minimum grade and the candidate has a strong professional or personal record.
However, she stressed that applicants must always check the eligibility requirements of individual programmes.
“It’s not just about how well you did academically. It’s also about your interpersonal skills and what you bring to the table beyond the classroom,” she said.
She encouraged students to strengthen their profiles through professional experience, volunteering, leadership, community service and personal initiatives.
A candidate with a first-class degree but little evidence of leadership, professional experience or community impact may not necessarily be stronger than someone with a lower grade who has demonstrated those qualities, she explained.
Her advice to students is therefore simple: keep developing yourself regardless of your academic record.
“Build your profile. Build your work experience, volunteer, lead, take initiatives. Give back to your community,” she said.
Ikpesu-Ewhubare’s vision extends beyond scholarships. She is particularly interested in increasing opportunities for girls and women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
Her own career in chemical engineering and the energy sector provides a personal connection to the issue.
For her, increasing access to education is not simply about helping individuals earn degrees. It is about giving young people the skills, networks and opportunities to contribute meaningfully to their communities and the global economy.
Education, she believes, can be a powerful pathway for social mobility, particularly for young people whose financial circumstances might otherwise restrict their ambitions.
“My purpose is simple: I don’t want people from the background I came from to limit themselves,” she said.
“We can be more. We can do more. Wherever you’re from, whatever you’re dreaming of, it’s valid, and it’s achievable.”
