Hi, I’m Durojaiye Michael Kolade, and I love to make people laugh. I come from a large family in Nigeria with six children. Although my journey led me to study Bioprocess Engineering at Dublin City University in Ireland, I am also a good artist – I love to draw and make music. My biggest dream is to create sustainable waste management solutions for poor communities and establish a plastic recycling plant in Nigeria to help reduce the amount of plastic pollution in our oceans and landfills.
My academic story is not just about finding the right university and achieving good results; it’s mostly a story of resilience and faith. I believe in building a better future for myself and my community.
How I became passionate about Bioprocess Engineering
I grew up in an average-income household with strong religious values and a commitment to education. As a child, I went to the World of Faith Group of Schools before applying to Wesley University of Science and Technology, where I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Science. Initially, I wanted to pursue a Master’s degree in Biotechnology and Brain Innovation. I found that field fascinating, but then I discovered Bioprocessing. This field brings constant innovations, so it would be my chance to make a difference in my country.
I want to make Nigeria a better place. Someday, I want it to be like Dublin: a place where people will be happy to come and visit. I want to build bioreactor plants, starting with a small one in my community to provide light and water for people.
However, when I don’t think about all this, I enjoy playing basketball with my friends.
Why I chose Ireland to study abroad
Studying abroad was not just about academic advancement for me; I wanted a change of environment, something that would spark my curiosity in education. I wanted to see how people teach in other places. I thought experiencing a different kind of education than what I was used to would impact how I assimilate new knowledge.
In a way, it’s like a social experiment for me. Back in Nigeria, I worked for some time for the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development. I was a lead trainer and project manager, focusing on teaching new skills to less privileged people, thus giving them a chance for a better life. I saw first-hand what a difference it makes when we educate ourselves.
At first, I wanted to go to Japan, but that did not work out. So, my mum insisted I find a city where she feels I am safe. She was concerned with the increasing crime rates in big, crowded places like London and the US. Because I lost both my father and my stepbrother, putting my mum’s and my sisters’ minds at ease regarding my safety was an important consideration for me. So I picked Dublin.
My advice for other international students
Mastersportal was a great help in finding the right university and gathering helpful information. That’s why my advice to anyone who wants to study abroad is to do their research, especially about accommodation and finances.
Choosing universities outside your budget will be more difficult, but you can apply for grants and scholarships. For me, winning this Studyportals grant is just a dream come true. I never expected it in a million years. I was talking to my little sister one afternoon when I saw the email from Studyportals about grants. I applied, and I actually got it! So research and apply!
What challenges I had to overcome
Moving abroad always comes with challenges, especially when you move into a very distant and different culture. But I had no doubts about my plan. I wanted to meet people from different places, share ideas with intellectuals, and thus shape myself into who I wanted to become. That was my plan. Yet, I had no idea Ireland would be so cold!
My admission letter came last year, but I couldn’t get a Visa because of financial issues. However, I tried not to get discouraged, and I waited, prayed and continued to do what good I could in my community. I was working for the Ministry, helping children who couldn’t afford to go to school otherwise. I was covering the out-of-pocket expenses for three girls from a family with difficult means and several brothers.
Eventually, I managed to sort out my financial situation and get my Visa, but I arrived late at university, so I had a bit of catching up to do. Of course, juggling finances just enough to afford this programme is still challenging, so I was pleasantly surprised when I was chosen for this award. When I found out, I thought maybe it was the prayer or something good was happening to me for the first time. When I told my mum about it, she could not believe it.
As for being here, I just love the vibe. I’ve already had so many new experiences and met many interesting people. For the first time in my life, I carved a pumpkin. Before I came here, I didn’t even know what a pumpkin was.
In my class, there are people from all over the world. I have classmates from Nigeria, India, Brazil, and China. Dublin is like a dream come true for me. Back home, everybody is like me, but here, there are so many different people, and everybody's so good to me.
Whenever I ask someone for help, they want to go the extra mile to help me. I'm privileged to experience this. I am very happy, and I'm grateful for this blessing.
My plans for the future
Right now, I want to learn as much as possible to make my plans come true. In Nigeria, we don't have recycling plants, and a lot of rubbish and waste goes to our landfills. It keeps piling up and piling up. I want to find a way to address this issue and contribute to cleaning my country and developing recycling. I wish Nigeria were a place where people come from everywhere and visit. A clean place like Dublin. Here it’s so clean, I don't even have dust on my clothes!
Don’t forget
Education is important; it’s probably our biggest chance to make a difference and improve our countries. Learning from other cultures and different people helps us grow and see things in a new light. It isn’t always easy, but I have my faith and my resilience to turn these dreams into reality.
