I was born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria. After high school, I moved to the United States to further my education.
It has not been an easy journey; I experienced culture shock during my first year, but I was able to adapt with time and have found the move to be more manageable with the resources provided to assist me! Plus, it helps I also discovered a community of international students at IUPUI, which was a fantastic experience.
Finding IUPUI
I did not attend IUPUI right away.
Before transferring to IUPUI as a junior, I spent my first two years at a community college. However, I chose IUPUI and the School of Science for a variety of reasons.
It was closer to my home in Indianapolis, it was less costly than my other options without compromising quality education, I was offered scholarships, and it was overall a very welcoming campus.
It suited my personality and lifestyle, and most importantly, it had a diverse student population!
Switching gears
When I initially started school, I had plans of being a biology major. I fulfilled those plans until my junior year, when I switched my major to chemistry. Chemistry is challenging and can be applied to a wide range of fields. Plus, chemistry was always something I enjoyed, especially when I took courses my freshman year.
Activities with the International Peer Mentoring Program.
PREParing for the future
With the help of the Office of Pre-Professional & Career Preparation (PREPs), who reviewed my resume, I decided to put my best foot forward and attend the Fall Career Fair. It was there that I met a representative from Eli Lilly!
A few weeks later, I was invited to a total of three interviews. After the initial invitation, PREP’s helped me with mock interview sessions and tips on how to ace both virtual and in-person interviews. The PREPs advisor recommended having one of my chemistry professors assist me in preparing for my technical interview which turned out to be super helpful.
All three interview were successful, and I was offered a job!
Future at Eli Lilly
After graduation I started in the Manufacturing and Quality department's quality control lab at Eli Lilly. I’m using instruments to test the water and conduct cleaning validation studies on equipment. The purpose is to ensure these materials are of high enough quality and non-toxic to be used to make the medicines that patients will eventually use.
I’m applying what I learned at the School of Science as well as what I will continue to learn as time passes at my job. Because there aren't many employers willing to hire international students, I consider myself extremely lucky to have landed a position at Eli Lilly.
I am excited to collaborate with other scientists to improve the lives of people all over the world!
My advice to future grads: Use as many resources provided to you as possible to ensure that when applying for jobs, you put your best foot forward.
These resources include resume reviews with PREPs, networking opportunities, interview preparation, and so on. Employers also like it when you ask challenging questions, so do your research and know what you're talking about before approaching them.