Abu Zayed Masum did not come from a prestigious university with a globally recognized alumni network or state-of-the-art research facilities. His journey began at Gono University, far from the spotlight of elite academia.
Yet today, he holds fully funded PhD offers in Chemistry from multiple renowned universities in the United States.
Behind this remarkable achievement lies a story of hardship, persistence, and an almost stubborn refusal to give up.
Masum’s struggles began even before he completed higher secondary school. His father suffered a stroke that left him partially paralyzed, abruptly changing the family’s future. As the only son, the responsibility of supporting the entire household fell on his shoulders at a young age.
At one point, financial pressure became so overwhelming that he seriously considered dropping out of education altogether to work in a garment factory, where he could at least earn a guaranteed monthly salary of 12,000 taka.
But somewhere deep inside, the dream of higher education refused to die.
To continue his studies while supporting his family, Masum took on private tutoring jobs from morning until late at night.
“I used to teach batches and private students from morning until 11 PM,” he recalled. “People insulted me constantly and said many discouraging things. But I knew I was enduring all of it for one dream. My greatest strength was this: every time I failed, I would stand up again.”
That resilience slowly transformed his life.
At Gono University, Masum built his academic foundation in chemistry and graduated with a CGPA of 3.24. Later, Jahangirnagar University introduced him to the world of research and helped him develop a passion for scientific inquiry.
His journey took a decisive turn when he joined Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), where he experienced an international-standard research environment for the first time.
“At BUET, I found an environment where nobody looked down on anyone,” Masum said. “The laboratories felt like home. Someone from the next room was going to Florida, another to Texas. The moment I entered BUET, studying in the United States no longer felt impossible. It started to feel normal.”
But getting there required extraordinary patience and determination.
Toward the end of 2025, Masum sent emails to more than 500 professors in the United States. It was not a matter of sending generic messages randomly. He carefully studied each professor’s research, learned about their work, and tailored every email individually.
It became a test of endurance.
“I started drafting my emails as early as April,” he explained. “From October to December, I sent them according to a schedule. Out of 500 emails, only four received positive replies. But I knew that even a single positive response could make the entire journey successful.”
That belief eventually paid off.
If all goes according to plan, Masum will soon begin his PhD journey at the University of Massachusetts.
For younger students struggling with self-doubt or limitations, he carries a simple but powerful message.
“It does not matter where you come from,” he said. “What matters is how relentlessly determined you are. Professors in the United States may not even know the name of your university. So you have to pull yourself up on your own. In the end, this battle is really a battle with yourself.”
Masum’s story is not merely about academic success. It is about refusing to surrender to circumstances, about carrying responsibilities without abandoning ambition, and about proving that determination can bridge even the widest distances.
From tutoring students late into the night to earning fully funded PhD opportunities in America, Abu Zayed Masum has shown that dreams are not reserved for the privileged — they belong to those willing to fight for them.
