A Life Across Places. A Story Still Unfolding.

A friend of mine was already studying in Russia, and I wanted to see more of the world. I arrived in late 2015 and spent about 10 months learning Russian before beginning my bachelor’s degree in September 2016.

Learning the language was very difficult at first, but volunteering became one of the ways I found my footing. It gave me a chance to practise Russian, make friends and gradually become part of the community around me.

As my Russian improved, life began to open up beyond the classroom.

After finishing my Russian language course, I started my bachelor’s degree in Power Engineering at the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia.

Alongside my studies, volunteering opened the door to major international events, and I was very fortunate to take part in several of them, including the 2017 World Festival of Youth and Students, the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the 2019 Winter Universiade. 

I also participated in the 2017 Churkin Moscow Model United Nations and became involved in many other social and public activities. In 2018, I was invited to help plant 17 trees representing the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals as part of a UN event in Russia.

However, my final year coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, which made finishing my degree more difficult. I graduated in July 2020.

The next step for me was graduate school in North America, but I would soon learn that getting admitted was the easiest part.

My plans to continue my education in North America met several setbacks, beginning with a Canadian visa refusal after I was admitted to the University of Toronto.

I was later admitted to Tufts University with full funding through the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Tuition Scholarship and the 2022 QS World Merit Social Responsibility Scholarship, worth $10,000.

Even with the admission and funding in place, 2 U.S. student visa refusals delayed my start by a year. My student visa was finally approved few days before the start of my semester at Tufts.

After all of that, arriving at Tufts meant I could finally begin the graduate education I had spent more than a year trying to achieve.

In 2025, I experienced two layoffs within seven months and lost my housing. I also had multiple job offers withdrawn because employers were unwilling to sponsor a work visa. During that period, finding another role, dealing with immigration uncertainty and trying to regain stability in my life were all happening at the same time.

This part of my life belongs in my story just as my other opportunities and achievements do.

My story continues in the work I do, the relationships I build and the ideas I’m exploring today.

Today, I work as a Sustainability & Social Equity Coordinator at Konesens Development and a Sustainability Assistant at UMass Chan Medical School.

The questions that first mattered to me in Port Harcourt are now part of my everyday work in sustainability, where much of what I do involves managing and implementing sustainability programs, driving social impact, and working with people.

Alongside this work, I’m making more room for public storytelling and the ideas I want to explore beyond my professional work.