The RoundPier community is a global one and our new Spotlight covers Barrington Chungulo, an African student who now calls Turkey home. He is pursuing a Chemical Engineering degree on a full scholarship at Eskişehir Osmangazi University. Barrington is also hoping to make a name for himself in the world of education philanthropy. He has become heavily involved with volunteering and provides a great example of how one can have impact in a short period of time. For those hoping to get in contact with Barrington, he’ll be contributing to the Education in Africa group on RoundPier.

RP: Barrington, why did you decide to study abroad?

BC: Many of the reasons why I decided to study abroad were about personal expansion. I wanted to get out of my comfort zone, develop cultural sensitivity, adapt to globalization, boost my self-confidence, gain independence, and meet new people from all over the world. It also helped that I earned a scholarship as well.

RP: Tell us a little bit more how you ended up in Turkey.

BC: I first applied for the Education USA (EdUSA) program at the American Embassy in Zambia; my application was unsuccessful. I then applied for the government scholarships to study in China, Russia, Algeria, and India at the local Bursaries Committee. However, my application drew a blank on six occasions. The Bursaries Committee rejected me for two consecutive years.

After unsuccessfully trying to apply through government programs and scholarships, I started applying to schools for admission and scholarship offers directly. To quote Albert Einstein, ‘‘I am thankful for all those who said NO to me. It’s because of them I did it myself.”

Read the full interview with Barrington Chungulo on advice to students by RoundPier at medium.com.