✅ VISA APPROVED (SUBJECT TO ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESSING) 📍Abuja Embassy 🗓️ 06/05/2025 🪟 Window 9 🎯 First Attempt 💰 COA: $68,000 🎓 Funding: Fully Funded 📉 Deficit: $0 📚 PhD. in Feminist Studies 🏫 University of California, Santa Barbara My interview lasted for about 10 minutes. INDEED, IT WAS GOD!!! I also want to sincerely appreciate my friend Ginika, who took it upon himself to constantly encourage me to prepare thoroughly for the interview. We organized mutual mock sessions for each other, and those sessions turned out to be incredibly helpful. His support meant a lot throughout this journey. I was scheduled for 8:45 am but arrived over two hours early. While waiting, I saw several applicants walk out with their passports, which is often a clear sign of rejection. Some looked visibly distraught. I got a little nervous, but I reminded myself: What will be, will be. 🎤 The Interview The VISA Officer was an elderly white lady, probably in her late 50s or early 60s. She denied almost everyone before me except one elderly man who was going to see his grandkids in the US. Denials were flying left, right, and centre. VO: Pass me your passport and paperwork. Me: Good morning ma’am, here they are. (with a polite smile) She scanned my passport and looked at my I-20, then got up and left without saying a word. While she was away, I silently prayed. About 5 minutes later, she returned. VO: Why Feminist Studies, and why UC Santa Barbara? Me: I’ve been engaged in feminist scholarship for some time, though, from a philosophical background. I realized I needed an interdisciplinary approach, hence the switch to Feminist Studies. Feminist philosophy is great, but it limits me to rational inquiry, whereas I really want to do fieldwork. UCSB stood out not only for its prestige, often ranked among the top 50 globally, but also because of its rigorous, policy-oriented feminist program. Plus, they gave me the most generous funding of all the schools I applied to. VO: That’s very interesting. How many schools did you apply to? Me: Four. VO: Were you accepted into all? Me: Yes, with funding. I had to weigh my options based on my criteria before choosing UCSB. VO: How did you get this fellowship? Me: It was very difficult, ma’am. After the paperwork, I went through three rigorous interviews with the department’s admissions committee to explain my project. I made it to the top 4 and was ultimately chosen as the top PhD. candidate for the year. As a result, I was nominated for the prestigious Chancellor’s Fellowship, which guarantees me a six-year full funding package covering all academic costs, health insurance, and housing (for the first two years). It also provides a generous fellowship stipend of $38,000 per year with no teaching or graduate assistantship obligations. The department also offers to take care of my relocation cost, which includes booking my flights and paying for all travel related expenses. VO: I See… So when was your last degree, and was it a Master’s or Bachelor’s? Me: 2018. It was a BA in Philosophy. VO: Why PhD and not Master’s? Me: I graduated as the all-time best student in my department with First Class honours. Since then, I’ve worked as a research coordinator at a Feminist Research Centre. Based on my academic strength, all schools felt I was ready for PhD. work. VO: Are you married? Me: No. VO: Do you plan to get married? Me: Of course! (laughs) But not during the PhD. It can be distracting, you know. Afterwards, yes, I would get married and start a family, I can’t wait. VO: You’re right. Marriage can be a source of distraction. I just wanted to be sure you’re not planning to file an F2. Me: No ma’am, I’m travelling alone. She began typing… it felt long and awkward. Me: Can I tell you about my research? VO: (reluctantly) Yes. My research focuses on domestic violence and femicide, I will be using ethnography to capture survivors’ lived experiences. I mentioned my preference for the term “survivors” over “victims,” and she paused typing, looked up, and started nodding. I added that my work lies at the intersection of history, politics, and law, aiming to identify the root causes of domestic violence and propose solutions. She kept nodding and smiling. I told her I planned to publish the work with my advisor at UCSB. VO: That’s an interesting research. Have you travelled out before? Me: Yes, to Uganda in 2019 for an academic conference. VO: What will you be doing when you finish your PhD? Me: I’m currently in academia, working as a research coordinator at a feminist research centre in my alma mater. Recently, this centre was cleared to become a full academic department, so when I return, I’ll be an invaluable addition to the faculty. I also plan to advance gender and social justice policy initiatives back home. I’ll be working with the Anambra State Ministry of Women Affairs as an advocate for the girl child. More so, this PhD. makes economic sense as I’ll be earning nearly four times my current salary when I return. That’s more than enough to start and support a family. (She looked me in the eyes the entire time.) VO: Have you been to Gaza? Me: (laughing) No. VO: I’m approving your visa. She handed me an approval slip and added that I was being placed under Administrative Processing for background checks. She also gave me the 221g form, which stated that no further action was required on my part. Me: How long will that take? VO: Just a few days—it’s routine. Me: Thank you, ma’am. ✨ My Secret Sauce (What Worked for Me) I didn’t memorize answers. In fact, the responses in this transcript are not exactly how I worded them during the interview, and I probably can’t repeat them exactly the same again. That’s the beauty of working with key points instead of memorized scripts. I dressed professionally. A well-fitted suit, tie, and polished shoes—simple, confident presentation. I answered naturally and conversationally. My tone wasn’t robotic. I let the conversation flow. I used body language. Gesturing subtly, nodding, maintaining eye contact like I was explaining a passion, not passing an exam. I didn’t rehearse fixed answers. While practising in front of the mirror, I never repeated the same response twice to the same question. That forced me to get comfortable with thinking on my feet and expressing myself in various ways. I didn’t obsess over mock interviews or crowd opinions. I prioritized authenticity over sounding overly polished or grandiose. Above all, I prayed like it all depended on God and prepared like it all depended on me.