Nigerian Man Shares 111 Rejections He Received As He Inspires Someone Out There Never To Give Up

Nigeria man named Hammed Kayode Alabi has shared how he got rejected 111 times to inspire someone out there never to give up.

Hammed also added that it was also a
100 + wins for him as he developed his writing and interview skills through them.

Sharing on Facebook, hd wrote:

Congratulations, I am excited to announce my rejection timelines and I hope it inspires you not to give up. To help you know that you are not alone in this journey of becoming.

Rejections
2016- YALI Regional Leadership Centre, Accra Ghana
2017 – Mandela Washington Fellowship (2016)
2017 – Carrington Youth Fellowship Initiative
2017 – Open Con
2017- TED Fellowship
2017 – Helping Other People Excel Volunteer Opportunity
2017 – KPMG Graduate Recruitment
2017 – PWC Graduate Recruitment
2017 – YALI Regional Leadership Centre, Accra Ghana (Interview Stage)
2017 – YALI Regional Leadership Centre, Lagos (Interview Stage)
2017 – YALA Journalism Training
2017 – Yiaga Young Leaders Programme (can’t remember what it was called then)
2017 – Young Leaders for Sustainable Development Goals
2017 – LEAP Africa Social Innovation Programme
2017 – Atlas Corps Fellowship (Moved through the next stage, application was on file but never continued)
2017 – Miracle Corners World (MCW) Young Leaders Access Program
2017 – TheirWorld Global Youth Ambassador Program
2017 – ICS VSO young citizens or volunteer exchange program
2018 – Mandela Washington Fellowship (2017)
2018 – British Council Future Leaders Connect
2018 – Helium Grant (Quarter 1)
2018 – Helium Grant (Quarter 2)
2018 – ChangemakerXchange Ghana
2018 – Global Media Information Literacy Hackathon (Finalist)
2018 – Pollination Grant (Final Stage)
2018 – Women Deliver (I didn’t know why I applied for this)
2018 – YPB pitch competition for my idea Career Toolbox (Semi Final)
2018 – LEAP Africa Social Innovation Programme
2018 – African Development Bank Essay Competition
2018 – ONE Campaign Champion, Nigeria
2018 – Ashoka Changemakers Programme
2018 – Dalai Lama program
2018 – Generation Change Programme
2018 – Queens Young Leaders Programme
2018 – World Economic Forum Global Shapers, Lagos Hub (Interview stage)
2018 – International Peace Competition for Young People – Goi Peace Foundation
2019 – Mandela Washington Fellowship (2018)
2019 – Young Global Changers
2019 – MasterCard Foundation Scholarship, University of Edinburgh
2019 – Chevening Scholarship
2019 – Admission rejection based on lack of English proficiency (Queen University, Belfast) – I tried fighting this.
2019 – One Young World Dutch MFA Scholarship
2019 – Unleash Innovation Lab
2019 – One Young World Leading Africa Scholarship
2019 – One Young World, Deloitte Scholarship
2019 – One Young World Queen Commonwealth Trust Scholarship
2019 – UK visa rejection to attend Peace First Fellowship-in-Residence retreat in London (only fellow that didn’t attend)
2019 – Commonwealth Scholarship, Federal Scholarship Board
2019 – Commonwealth Shared Scholarship, University of Bath
2019 – Commonwealth Shared Scholarship, University of Bradford
2019 – Commonwealth Shared Scholarship, University of Southampton
2019 – Commonwealth Shared Scholarship, University of Glasgow
2019 – Commonwealth Shared Scholarship University of Bristol
2019 – Think Big Scholarship (Quarter 1)
2019 – Think Big Scholarship (Quarter 2)
2019 – ChangemakerXChange Lagos
2019 – World Youth Forum
2019 – UNESCO APCEIU Global Citizenship Education program.
2019 – TED Fellowship
2019 – YouthTime Youth Global Forum
2021 – World Youth Forum (Speaker)
2021 – One Young World, Munich
2021 – Raleigh Facilitation Consultant role
2021 – Ellie Maxwell Grant
2021 – MasterCard Foundation Postgraduate Intern
2021 – REUK Further Education Coordinator role
2022 – Roddenberry Grant
2022 – Global Youth Mobilization Force Grant (last stage)
2022 – Unleash Idea (Waitlisted)
2022 – Clearer Thinking Regrants
2022- Baobab Speak Your Mind Contest
2022 – Leadership Summit Portugal
2022 – Head of Programme position at a Prestigious accelerator (Made it to the final)
2022- Regional Programme Manager at Spark (Interviewed)
2023 – Obama Young Leader, Europe
2023 – Deloitte, One Young World Lead 2030 Grant
2023 – Z Zurich One Young World Scholarship –
Deloitte One Young World Scholarship – Rejected
2023- Entrepreneurship Programme Manager at LSE
2023 – Widening Participation Officer at LSE
2023 – Philanthropy Manager at LSE
2023 – Senior Philanthropy Manager at LSE
2023 – Innovation and Entrepreneurship Manager at Imperial College London
2023 – Engagement Manager at Imperial College London
2023 – Fundraising Officer at the University of Surrey
2023- Programme Coordinator at the University of Edinburgh
2023 – Managing Director, Big Change
2023 – World Economic Forum Annual Meeting
2023 – Annual Meeting for New Champions, World Economic Forum
2023 – Director of Network Delivery, UK Youth
2023 – Board Member, Melton Foundation
2023 – Samsung, UNDP Generation17
2023 – Salzburg Global Seminar
2023 – Director, University of Edinburgh
2023 – Social Shifters Global Innovation Challenge
2023 – Program Associate, Fellowship & Awards at Mozilla Foundation
2023 – Footnote Writing Prize
2023 – Miles Morland Writing Prize
2024 – Global Talent Visa, Tech Nation
2024 – Founders Innovators Visa by Envestors
2024 – O’Shaughnessy Fellowship and Grant
2024 – Global Talent Visa Research, British Academy
2024 – One Young World, Deloitte
2024 – One Young World, Leading Africa
2024 – One Young World Z Zurich
2024 – One Young World, Dutch Enterprise Futures
2024 – UKFIET Board Membership
2024 – UAL Storytelling Fellowship
2024 – Ashoka Better Tomorrow Challenge
2024 – London Business School Launchpad Pitch
2024 – University of Glasgow, International Recruitment Manager (earlier in the year before landing my current role)
2024 – Travel Elevates Impact Grant

This is about 111 rejections and there are some I could not remember or some that are too sensitive to share but the truth is these are 100 + wins too. I developed my writing and interview skills through them. Some of them forced me to innovate and create. Required me to record videos which end up helping to become comfortable with the camera and my voice. Every rejection was an opportunity to create and build. They pushed me beyond imagination. It was also a 100+ draft that I built upon for my wins. Was it stressful yes, were they ones that nearly broke me? Yes. However, they also account for the twenty+ wins, I have received. Someone said this year that I am just winning and I giggled a bit and I said, how I wish you knew how much I have been battered already this year and even had to overcome life-changing rejections, some of which I am still trying to recover from the burnout. It is hard but taking responsibility for ourselves is what makes it worthwhile, it is where we find meaning and overcome suffering. Pain is joy and joy is war. It is what I have learned in my journey of becoming. Stay grounded in your rejections and it should not stop you from being, trying, becoming, and creating. Closed doors are not necessarily closed opportunities. Some of these experiences I gathered through my rejections have been useful in my current role as a Transitions Coordinator.

So stay grounded and rooting for you.

Caption: At the reception of the Principals Medal Award at the University of Edinburgh

Source:Hammed Kayode Alabi| Facebook

Email: elora.akpotosevbe@yahoo.com