How a Blind MT Scholar Beat the Odds and Secured 5 Fully Funded Admissions

He lost his sight, but not his vision.

Blind at 20, yet unstoppable.

They said there was no provision for him. So, he created his own path.

Diagnosed with glaucoma at just 8, Donaldson Ellis was completely blind by 20. 

When it was time for university, he couldn’t study Mathematics–his most prized subject. Not because he lacked the ability, but because his school had no facilities for visually impaired students to take math-related courses. 

That could have been the end of the road, but it wasn’t. 

Donaldson chose to stay locked in. He pivoted to Philosophy & Political Science, but he didn’t give up on his bigger dreams.

Preparing for the GRE for over 2.5 years came with real challenges. He relied on assistive technology to access materials and leaned on friends and mentors to bridge gaps the system refused to fix. 

No shortcuts. Just relentless, extraordinary work. 

Then, the Michael Taiwo Scholarships stepped in. 

We engaged with the Educational Testing Services (ETS) to ensure Donaldson gets a fair shot at his dreams, at a time when there was no provision for blind test-takers in Ghana. After months of persistence, we secured a testing environment that allowed him to perform to his true potential. 

The result?

• Quantitative Reasoning: 166 
• Verbal Reasoning: 155 
• Total: 321 / 340

Today, Donaldson has received 5 fully funded offers from top US universities:

• University of Michigan
• University of Chicago
• Duke University
• Princeton University
• University of California, Berkeley

We didn’t just support him. We fought for him.

In an interview with TheCable Lifestyle, our Founder & CEO, Dr. Michael Taiwo, shared, “We ensured that Educational Testing Services (ETS) was aware of his challenges and provided the necessary accommodations, such as extra time.”

Donaldson holds a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy & Political Science from the University of Ghana, graduating with a CGPA of 3.42/4.00.

What This Story Means

This is what resilience looks like.

Not the absence of obstacles, but the decision to keep going in spite of them.

Your circumstances are real; they can slow you down, stretch you, and test your limits. But they are not final.

Systems may fail you, opportunities may not come easily, and sometimes, the path may not even exist.

But none of that gets the final say.

Because the people who win are not always the ones with the best conditions, they are the ones who refuse to stop.

If Donaldson could find a way, so can YOU!

At MT Scholarships, we don’t just fund scholars. We stand in the gap, push boundaries, and fight for them.

Written by Jesugbogo Enis.