The Black Girl Education Series is a new TANTV series featuring the stories of Black female executives and their educational strides. The second installment of this series features Ibiyinka Mary. Mary, a Nigerian native, completed her bachelor’s degree in food science and technology and later pursued a Master of Science degree in Public Health from Western Illinois University. Presently, Mary is committed to earning a Ph.D. in Environmental Health.
The traditional path to success is not for everyone. While some people achieve success through degrees or trades, others start their own businesses or take a combination of different paths. However, Mary, a second-year Ph.D. student at Maryland Institute, decided to take the traditional route to success. She left Nigeria in search of higher education, with the hopes of acquiring the tools she needed to achieve her goals.
“Having grown up in an immigrant-Black household, my parents always instilled the importance of education in me. In addition to having high expectations for their children, immigrant parents always strive to make them the best they can be. Their ideal career is to be a lawyer or doctor,” Mary said. Mary. Being a bright child, Mary’s parents assumed she would become a lawyer or doctor as well. “That’s the common Nigerian narrative of who you’ll be in the future. You are either a doctor or you are a lawyer,” Mary added.
While her parents assumed she would become a doctor or a lawyer, Mary has always been interested in environmental health, food, and water waste. In her quest to be an expert in her career field and someday become the Minister of Health in Nigeria, Mary decided to pursue a Ph.D. to be the best at what she does and earn the title of a doctor.
Mary took a break after earning her master’s degree and began working at the City of Chicago Department of Public Health. However, she soon realized that she wanted more. While working, she started applying for a Ph.D. program and became part of an NGO called “The 17 Sustainability Initiative,” where she advocated for Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Over the years, SDG has taught over 3,000 high school students in Nigeria about the universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and improve the lives and prospects of everyone, everywhere.
Mary’s application process for her master’s degree was relatively easy. While applying, she already had a background in food science and technology based on her bachelor’s degree, as well as experience in areas that would help her achieve her Master’s. Her experience in food science and technology required her to work in labs and get hands-on experience. She ran an NGO that dealt with SDG, and she volunteered with her communities to gain community-building experience. “The volunteer work that I’ve been doing gave me the experience to qualify for getting a master’s degree in public health,” she said.
“Public health is a broad topic. There are different aspects to it, so I wanted to narrow it down and focus on something more meaningful. I decided to study Environmental Health Science and interned at the Environmental Health Department. I just wanted to build more on what I did, which I enjoyed because I was working on a project that was looking at West Nile Virus. I wanted to do something really environmental.”
“Since the GMAT and GRE were canceled, I had to make a case for myself as a strong candidate. The section of the application process that I really worked on was the Statement of Purpose. I was able to tie in all my different experiences as a researcher and also my work experience into which stood out for me.”
Mary was able to get some funding through a graduate assistantship that helped pay off her tuition. She was very active as an international student and would go to events that were held at her college, showcasing the culture of Nigeria and her background. Mary only applied to fully funded programs and made sure to let professors and interviewers know that she was only interested in fully funded programs.
Managing stress while attending school can be challenging. Mary suggests identifying what is stressful to you and prioritizing the most important things that you need to do. “Utilize your weekends to enjoy and relax,” said Mary.
For international students, Mary advises taking current education seriously. Good grades, extracurricular activities, projects, and volunteering are important to have something tangible to write in your statement of purpose that makes you stand out from other applicants. Mary recommends keeping options open and researching fully funded programs.
In five years, Mary sees herself working at an international organization or government agency as a researcher. “I’m not sure if that’s going to be in the U.S. It could be anywhere in the world. I’m open to working anywhere as long as I am making changes and impacting people’s lives,” said Mary.
Mary believes that it is best for her to be open and ready for whatever the universe plans for her. She does not want to decide on her dream company just yet.
Mary is driven by her desire for success, and she hopes to one day return to Nigeria to implement much-needed changes. Her goal is to utilize the experience and knowledge she has acquired over the years to make a difference and eventually become the Minister of Health. Mary’s passion and dedication are inspiring, and we wish her all the best in her future endeavors.
Written By:
Karesha Graham
