Who are you becoming?

I remember speaking with someone who had just received a scholarship rejection. They were disappointed. Not because they had done poor work. In fact, they had submitted one of the strongest applications they had ever written. The disappointment came from believing that all that effort had produced nothing.

No scholarship.

No admission.

No offer.

Nothing.

But I disagreed. Because I had seen this story before. A lot of people think the value of this journey lies in the outcome.

The scholarship.

The admission.

The job offer.

The visa.

The relocation.

And those things matter. But over time, I've come to believe that they are only part of the story. The process changes you. The person who starts applying is rarely the same person who finishes.

• You learn to write clearly.

• You learn to tell your story.

• You learn to communicate your ideas.

• You learn how to research.

• You learn how to handle disappointment.

• You learn how to keep going.

These things stay with you long after a particular application is forgotten.

When I look back at my own journey, some of the most valuable things I gained were not the scholarships themselves.

• It was the confidence to approach opportunities.

• The ability to articulate my experiences.

• The courage to apply for things I once thought were beyond me.

• The discipline to keep improving.

Those lessons have continued to pay dividends long after the scholarship ended.

This is why I encourage people not to reduce themselves to outcomes.

You are more than a scholarship application. More than an admission letter. More than a rejection email.

The opportunity matters. But so does the person you become while pursuing it. And perhaps that is why resilience is so important. Because every application is doing two things at once. It is testing your readiness for an opportunity. And it is preparing you for opportunities yet to come.

So yes, work hard. Aim high. Submit strong applications. But don't miss what is happening beneath the surface.

• You are building skills.

• You are building confidence.

• You are building character.

And unlike a scholarship decision, those gains cannot be taken away from you.

—Ojonugwa

Scholar ChitChat

P.S. Some of the best returns from this journey won't appear in an acceptance email. Pay attention to who you're becoming along the way.

Keep an eye out, more scholarship opportunities are coming you way in next week's edition. Till then, remember to keep chasing your dreams!