A Gratitude Note: Lessons from the Journey So Far

Gratitude, I am learning, is not only for moments of triumph. It is also for the quiet disappointments, the delays, the rejections, the seasons when clarity feels distant and progress feels slow. This reflection is my attempt to honor all of it—the successes and the failures, the doors that opened and those that closed for reasons I did not understand at the time.

When I reflect on my journey so far, I see a path shaped by grace, community, resilience, and learning. Moving from a master’s program at UC Berkeley as a Mastercard Foundation Scholar into a fully funded PhD at UCLA was not just a change of school; it was a shift in responsibility, depth, and purpose. The classroom became more demanding, the questions more complex, and the expectations higher. Completing my first quarter at UCLA with strong results confirmed that I belong in these spaces—but more importantly, it reminded me that preparation, discipline, and community matter more than comparison. I am deeply aware that none of this happened alone. These milestones are not just personal achievements; they are collective victories—built on mentorship, friendship, sacrifice, and belief from many people and institutions, and this year marked significant academic and personal milestones.

I am grateful for the recognitions I received this year—awards, fellowships, leadership opportunities, and invitations to engage in conversations beyond the classroom, many of which I cannot mention all. These moments served as encouragement, not just endpoints. They reminded me that scholarship rooted in Indigenous knowledge, folklore, ecology, language, and community engagement is meaningful and powerful when approached with care and accountability. I was at UNM a few months ago, teaching what I love. It took a remarkable Lobo to acknowledge my talent and give me a job. I also left New Mexico with a new church family that continued to support me in prayer, kind gestures, and in both material and emotional ways.

Yet alongside these successes were moments of uncertainty—applications that did not work out, sleepless nights wondering what-ifs, ideas that took longer to mature, papers rejected, opportunities postponed, and times when self-doubt was louder than confidence. There were seasons when effort did not immediately translate into visible reward, when growth happened quietly, without applause. Those moments taught me patience, humility, and the discipline to keep showing up even when affirmation was absent.

Failure, I’ve learned, is not the opposite of success; it is part of its architecture. It refined my questions, sharpened my focus, and reminded me why I began this work in the first place—to tell stories that matter, to honor Indigenous and marginalized knowledge systems, and to use scholarship as a bridge between communities, cultures, and futures.

I am especially thankful for mentors who challenged me—those I want to call the kingmakers; friends who walked alongside me; communities that trusted me with their stories; and family whose faith never wavered—even when outcomes were uncertain. I am grateful for classrooms that pushed me, conferences that broadened my perspective, and leadership spaces that reminded me that service and scholarship go hand in hand.

This blog, and this moment, is not a declaration of arrival. It is a pause—a breath—to say thank you. Thank you for the progress made. Thank you for the lessons learned. Thank you for the strength built through difficulty. And thank you for the unfinished work ahead.

As I continue this journey—through research, teaching, storytelling, technology, and community engagement—I carry both gratitude and a sense of responsibility: to stay grounded, to give back, and to create work that is accountable to people, history, and place.

May this journey continue next year. And for all of it—seen and unseen—I am thankful. To my mentors, friends, family, followers, and supporters: Happy New Year, wherever you are! I remain yours faithfully, Okechukwu Iroegbu.