Let me begin this episode by sharing my doctoral journey—not in exhaustive detail, but as a reflection filled with gratitude. I fulfilled my late dad's life goal and created the proudest moment in my mom's life when she watched via YouTube livestream as Distinguished Professor of Information Science, Nitin Agarwal, hooded me the doctoral hood signifiying a milestone of being awarded a doctorate degree in Computer and Information Science. Growing up, I experienced life from two contrasting perspectives: a thriving middle class and deep poverty that forced us to relocate to Lamudifa, a remote village without electricity, water, or basic amenities. Though uncertain about escaping the village, I knew I didn't belong there. My natural curiosity and drive to excel made me determined to overcome poverty and to hold the belief that no one should struggle for basic needs. This mission continues to drive me, keeping me focused on the perpetual questions: "What's next?" and "How do I get there?"
Now, I'll share a pivotal moment from my early academic journey. When starting my bachelor's degree, I asked my late dad for money to buy new trousers for matriculation day. In Nigeria, matriculation is a significant ceremony marking one's official entry into university. My dad replied, "Abiola, we will celebrate your graduation. Matriculation is not as important." He spoke not from lack of love, but from the perspective of a man facing numerous challenges that constrained our family. He wanted to avoid premature celebration, knowing that even the cost of new clothes meant the family might go hungry that night. During my final year, my dad was battling cancer. Though unable to attend my convocation ceremony, he cherished the photos I took that day, beaming with pride and blessing me with prayers. He encouraged me to pursue a master's degree, which I began a year or two later, taking a year's break from work to complete the coursework.
Just weeks before my father's passing, I completed my master's degree. He witnessed my thesis defense with joy, and on his sickbed, we set our next goal—you can guess what it was! We agreed I would pursue a doctorate. I initially enrolled at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, but later transferred to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Oluwaseun Leonard Johnson played a crucial role, insisting I take this opportunity in the USA despite my hesitation about leaving a stable career and taking a significant pay cut. I took the leap, and I'm deeply grateful I did. After moving to Little Rock, my wife joined me a year later. Though I faced numerous challenges during my program—which deserve their own blog post—I'm thankful for many blessings: my daughter's birth in the USA, my wife's presence, and securing a full-time position at Activision while managing my doctoral studies. In October 2023, I received my O-1A visa and relocated to Los Angeles that December. January 2024 brought a mass layoff at work, which I survived, though I deeply sympathized with affected colleagues. The timing was particularly stressful, having switched from an F-1 to O-1A visa just months before, with its strict sixty-day job-finding requirement if laid off. Shortly after, my EB-1A approval in January 2024 brought relief as we adjusted to California's cost of living. Despite professional and personal challenges at work that sparked anxiety, divine guidance helped me overcome each obstacle. My contributions earned recognition, and I received my permanent resident card mid-year. In July 2024, I successfully defended my dissertation on knowledge graphs and their applications in multi-source social networks, earning high praise from my advisor. November 2024 brought two highlights: a well-received work presentation and my doctoral hooding ceremony at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. I know my late dad would be overjoyed that we achieved this dream! Looking back at 2024, I'm grateful for overcoming every challenge. As I look toward 2025, I'm excited about my career and financial goals. The future holds immense promise.
I am grateful for the following:
- I got admitted to the United States for a Doctoral degree
- I was able to publish my works at different venues.
- I started working professionally again after just a year into my PhD journey.
- My wife joined me in the USA.
- My daughter was born in Little Rock, Arkansas.
- I got an O-1A visa.
- I survived a mass layoff at work.
- Situations turned into testimonies.
- I got an EB-1A petition approved
- I got my green card.
- I got my doctorate degree, and walking the stage when my name was called to be hooded was my mom's highlight of 2024.
- I also presented at work.
Cheers until my next article, I hope we both reflect on the victories we have had this year.
Abiola Akinnubi, PhD
