Ade’s path to chemical engineering – how the alumni scholarship is helping him achieve his dream

Nottingham became Ade’s top choice after an offer holder day, where he fell in love with the city’s unique mix of nature and campus life. Thanks to the Alumni Scholarship, he has been able to immerse himself in student life, joining clubs and societies that have helped him make meaningful connections and fully embrace all that university life has to offer.

What brought you to the university?

“I am of Black African origins, specifically Nigerian, and in my early years I lived in the south of London. My family moved around London quite often but usually stayed around the south parts. I have attended quite a number of primary schools due to my family moving around because of financial situations, therefore I was not able to experience the stability that maybe other children had growing up.

“When I was 10 years old, I moved to Manchester, which was a huge culture shock to me as I realised that on average people were more friendly. You could just be walking, and people will drop you a casual “morning”, which was a big shift from receiving awkward smiles from people whilst walking in London, or them just not recognising your existence at all.

“Surprisingly, I only ever went to one Secondary school, Stretford Grammar School, which was about an hour and 15-30 minutes away from where I lived at the time, so getting there was a journey in itself. However, going there was a very rich and character-building experience that was very valuable in my growth as a person.

“I realised I wanted to be a chemical engineer whilst exploring my Nigerian heritage. As I was researching Nigeria’s economic and geographical landscape, I noticed that it was very rich in crude oil and natural gas, however it only has a few native refineries. Therefore, there is a large portion of its oil and gas that is sold to offshore (mostly American) companies to be refined in private refineries.

“This made me ask myself ‘why does the country with the ninth largest natural gas reserves, and that holds 37 billion barrels of crude oil in their reserves, offshoring a large proportion of these raw materials, have such a small means to refine these resources that they are so rich in?’. This question enabled me to discover chemical engineering, as they are the ones that design these refineries, in hopes of one day designing and partly owning my own refinery.”
 

Why Nottingham?

“I chose the University of Nottingham initially as I had enjoyed learning about Robin Hood and his exploits in pop culture, which I think is one of the most well-known pieces of English folklore, and which made me intrigued and ushered me to learn more about Nottingham as a city.

“My first time in Nottingham was at an offer-holder day for the University of Nottingham, where I discovered the nature that encloses the campus, and from then I knew it was the place for me.

“My first term in Nottingham has been very eventful, from staying out late and realising that Nottingham city centre never sleeps, to going on nature walks around campus. I have realised that Nottingham has quite a unique blend of natural beauty and urbanisation.”

How the scholarship has helped

“The engineering scholarship I received has not only supported my studies, but also provided the opportunity to join the Chemical and Environmental Engineering Society and the Football Club. Through these, I've connected with like-minded classmates in my course. Additionally, the scholarship has enabled me to become a member of the African-Caribbean Society, where I’ve met people from similar backgrounds studying various other courses."