How the Women Techsters Fellowship Re-routed my Career Journey.

My name is Faith Olagoke, and I am 22 years old. I am the fourth and last child from a family of 6. Growing up for me was intense as I grew up in a strict background. My parents were very keen on instilling the proper virtues in us, and in a bid to do that, they taught us not to always indulge in many frivolities like watching tv and outings.

As a child, I did not understand why my parents did many of the things they did, but now that I am a bit grown, I have a vague understanding as to why our parents brought us up the way they also did. I can confidently beat my chest and say I turned out as good as I did because of my upbringing.

My career progression has been fascinating. As a young teen, I wanted to be in Arts class because I enjoyed talking and I was a very energetic child. You know how everybody sees an active child that speaks well and starts selling the idea of studying law to the child? That was my story. But, with time, I realized that I didn’t have a flair for reading literature and decided to go into science.

You know how everybody sees an active child that speaks well and starts selling the idea of studying law to the child? That was my story.

I studied Microbiology at Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile-Ife, Osun state. My dad’s love for Biology influenced part of my decision. He loved Biology so much that he’s popularly referred to as “Baba Science.”

In my final year, I knew I did not want to practice Microbiology. Even though I was managing a small business already, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. Out-of-school pressure started to catch up with me, and that was when I came across the Women Techsters Program.

As a final-year student and business owner, starting the Women Techsters program was challenging. Managing all my responsibilities and ensuring that one part did not suffer was tough. One thing I held on to was that I would not allow what I was rounding up with to affect what I was about to start.

Transitioning into Cybersecurity was not an easy decision, but it was worth it. While filling out the application form, I was overwhelmed by my options, so I took time to research the learning tracks available, and during my research, Cybersecurity caught my attention. The relevance of Cybersecurity, even as the world continues to evolve, blew my mind, so I put in for Cybersecurity.

The relevance of Cybersecurity, even as the world continues to evolve, blew my mind, so I put in for Cybersecurity.

I had zero knowledge of Cybersecurity when I got into the program, but the Women Techsters Program is beginner-friendly, and in no time, I started to find my feet. I grew from struggling to understand the basic concepts of Cybersecurity to being invited to talks and being asked by people to mentor them. I even found the confidence to register for a Cybersecurity professional exam and got into a mentorship program I have always wanted.

I have had to sacrifice my sleep and invest so much in this Fellowship, and my motivations remain the fact that I know that Cybersecurity is all I have. It’s a career path I can build on that can take me from where I am now to where I want to be. I never want to be poor because I have so much work to do. I have been impacted so much by the Women Techsters Fellowship. As a result, I feel responsible for impacting people, also.

During the orientation, I remember Oladepo Oladiwura, Co-Founder of Tech4Dev, saying, “When you impact a man, you impact a person, but when you impact a woman, you impact a generation.” This statement has remained with me. Going out to educate and impact young girls in my community during the Tech girls drive advocacy gave me an insight into what this statement meant and further strengthened my resolve.

“When you impact a man, you impact a person, but when you impact a woman, you impact a generation.”

One of my biggest culture shocks in the Women Techsters Community is how supportive my facilitators and fellow beneficiaries have been. Especially my fellow beneficiaries. They have taught me that rather than competing, it is more profitable to collaborate.

As an adult, two of my biggest challenges have been financial constraints and battling with imposter syndrome. I have dealt with Imposter syndrome by loving myself more intentionally and focusing on the positive things I have achieved so far. My Women Techsters experience has shown me that one way to defeat Imposter syndrome is by refocusing. Instead of dwelling so much on failures, focus more on the wins.

Moving forward, I hope to get a Masters' degree in Cybersecurity or a related field like Information security or Forensics Investigation. I am looking forward to treading the Cybersecurity career path entirely.

Also, when I am more experienced and mentored in the tech space, I would love to come up with a community of like-minded individuals that would help impact people in the slum that would need this life-changing opportunity as they pull through life’s journey.

Thank you so much, Tech4Dev, for the opportunity. I am so grateful for the opportunity, and I do not take it for granted.