- Millicent Adjubi was denied a US student visa at the Ghana embassy in August 2025 despite holding an admission offer from Clark University on a partial scholarship
- After her visa denial, Adjubi contacted over 400 professors seeking assistantships and applied to countless scholarships before a breakthrough arrived
- Exactly one year after her visa denial, Adjubi shared a viral LinkedIn post revealing the extraordinary turn her academic journey had taken
Millicent Adjubi, a Ghanaian scholar, went from standing outside the US Embassy in Accra heartbroken to sitting under the roof of one of the world’s most prestigious scholarship programmes, all within the space of a single year.
On August 13, 2025, Adjubi walked into the US Embassy in Ghana for her student visa interview.
Photo Credit: Linkedln/Millicent Adjubi
Source: UGC
She had already secured admission to Clark University on a partial scholarship and carried what she described as a strong personal story. Within minutes, the interview was over and the answer was no, without any specific reason given.
From US visa denial to Canadian dream
Rather than abandon her plans for postgraduate study, Adjubi redirected her energy entirely. She began sending out applications in large numbers, reaching out to over 400 professors across universities in search of assistantships.
The rejections that came back were overwhelming, but she kept going, using YouTube tutorials and personal research to refine her approach with each new attempt.
The persistence paid off in a way she had not anticipated. On August 13, 2026, exactly one year to the day of her visa denial, Adjubi arrived at the University of British Columbia in Canada as a Mastercard Foundation Scholar, one of the most competitive and fully funded scholarship programmes available to African students globally.
Mastercard Foundation scholar’s LinkedIn post goes viral
She shared the news in a LinkedIn post alongside two photographs: one taken on the day of her visa rejection in 2025, and another from her fresh orientation at UBC in 2026. The contrast between the two images caught widespread attention online.
“If I could turn a visa denial into a fully funded scholarship at one of the best universities in the world, so can you,” she wrote, addressing anyone who had been considering giving up on their own goals.
She added that she plans to share the full breakdown of her application strategy, the rejections she faced, and the lessons she learned along the way in future posts.
Readers respond to Adjubi’s story
The post drew warm responses from across LinkedIn, with many users sharing their own reflections on perseverance.
@Victor Izegbu said:
“C. W. Longenecker: In the poem The Victor, the writer notes that success begins with a person’s own will and belief.”
@Ferdinand Ibezim said:
“Never say never. No, sometimes means, ‘Not now.’ It hardly ever means NEVER FOREVER. This is true in sales. It is even truer in life. Congratulations Millicent Adjubi.”
@WinniesOdawo said:
“A stranger is proud of you for not giving up.”
In a related story, Legit.ng reported that a lady had relocated to Canada with her family after two US visit visa denials.
Lady denied US and Canadian visas
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that a lady who was denied Canadian and US visa on multiple occassions had opened u about her experiences.
In a video, she showed the document she received from the US Embassy in Nigeria after her visa was rejected and revealed what she was told during the interview at the embassy.
She explained in the TikTok video that the experience made her feel bad because she believed there was no reason for her visa to be rejected, as all her documents were complete.
Source: Legit.ng