I Am An Asset To Any Organization
Onyia Chinaza Helen started to consider a career in Tech in 2020, when COVID-19 hit, and people started to explore the possibilities of technology even more. Seeing how digital tools and technology helped people work and connect with colleagues and loved ones motivated her. She knew she wanted to contribute her own quota to creating solutions that help people, especially in difficult times.
After acquiring her Bachelors degree in Linguistics from the University of Ibadan, Chinaza picked interest in Software Development and started to look for learning opportunities while waiting for her NYSC and that was when she came across the Women Techsters Fellowship ad on LinkedIn. She applied for the Software Development learning track and got in.
Chinaza’s goal was to acquire enough knowledge to pursue a career in Backend and to be employable.
When asked about how the Fellowship has impacted her life, Chinaza said “The Women Techsters Fellowship has helped me build patience and consistency. The application process was done in series of stages, my usual self would have given up but because I did not want to lose out on such an amazing opportunity, I stayed put. I was propelled to finishing and securing the opportunity. Secondly, it has helped me to connect to people. I’ve met women from diverse backgrounds in the course of this training, and I have had the opportunity to make real connections with them. Learning with young ladies like me within Africa with similar vision has inspired me beyond bounds. In addition, I have learned several soft skills such as good communication, teamwork, workplace etiquette, critical thinking, time management and the likes. Finally, I will boldly say that with the training I have gotten in the Women Techsters Fellowship, I’m an asset to any organization that hires me.”
Her tech journey so far has been an interesting one as overtime, she has gone beyond being someone just excited about tech to having a clear vision of the career path she wants to explore.
Her Fellowship highlight is being able to be part of the Women Techsters Fellowship for this long. Even as the end of the Fellowship is near, we are convinced that this experience has inspired her to believe in herself and go for whatever she wants to be or do without holding back.
Her major challenge so far has been learning with her Laptop as it was faulty but she did not let it deter her and is already working towards getting another one. Her favorite bits about the Fellowship have been the girl-child advocacy movement through the Tech Girls Drive, the weekly soft skills acquisition sessions held every Friday, and the amazing facilitators and Women Techsters team that have dedicated their time to impacting lives.
After the Fellowship, Chinaza plans to work on a project to practice all that she has learned, get a part-time or full-time job and also volunteer for a group project.
