SWEET LAWYER GIRL TURNED TECHIE. (My Journey, Genesys — Learnable20)
“Everything you want is on the other side of fear” -John Wooden
GROWTH MINDSET
I so much enjoyed the Growth Mindset day 2 session of the Genesys Induction by Osita because this was exactly what triggered the story you are about to enjoy. (😅)
Growing up as the only girl among boys(brothers, cousins) before I had a sister turned me into a no-no girl(😂 I’m not a Tomboy please). I grew up with this belief that I can do it notwithstanding that I am a GIRL. I love trying everything that comes my way and I’d hear my mum saying you are a girl, please. I always believe I can do anything but when someone tells me you can’t do it, it is indirectly telling me you must do it like adding fuel to the fire because it would trigger me.
I wanted to be a Lawyer, I was so much in love with this profession. My teachers in school then told my mum your daughter will make a good lawyer and all that, funny enough mum was in the court so it made things so easy for me, I could remember missing school so I could be present in the court, I already had so many barristers and magistrates as friends and those who would want me in their chambers once am done with school. It was going sweet for me, young barrister 😂.
“Fast forward, I finished secondary school at a very young age. I also wrote Jamb, took UNN’s aptitude test and got admitted that same year. However, I rejected this admission because it didn’t come with dream course”.
The next year the same thing happened, I said I’d wait besides am still young, the 2nd year I applied again this time was offered Social Sciences. I was so sad after waiting that long for admission and when it came out all schools are done with their aptitude test so I couldn’t apply somewhere else meanwhile, I already made up my mind that I won’t write another jamb.
One day while I was surfing the internet, lucky enough I saw ads from a school writing a supplementary test, I applied to study Public Administration so I could do a direct entry to the University to continue my dream course. The next year I applied again but this time I was offered Public Administration instead, I had to continue with my study in the polytechnic.
With the zeal burning inside of me I joined the student barristers association and I was enjoying the fun as a student barrister.
Boom 2017 I finished my National Diploma, 2018 I was in Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas for my 1year internship and that was how the sweet lawyer girl turned a techie.
I got into NLNG, that same week I was made the coordinator/head of other interns. It wasn’t that sweet like the class rep and others. I was so eager to learn anything that comes my way whether or not it’s related to my discipline. I featured in a whole lot of things even the ones am trying for the first time.
My bosses believed I can do literally everything and they concluded that if its Abigail, forget it she can deliver very well. With this, I had a lot to keep up with to deliver very well and maintain the beautiful comment on my assessment form from my supervisor.
One day, a staff from the IT department volunteered to teach Interns in computer science networking, and programming.
MY JOURNEY BEGAN
Hearing this, I reached out to him immediately on Lync that I would want to be part of the class, he smiled and said: “you are in HR so it’s not for you, besides what’s your discipline, I told him public administration he said you see its not for you because you may not understand the terms and all that besides he is not starting from the basics.” I persuaded him that I will. He accepted and boom it started happening.
I rushed to my supervisor to inform her that I’ll be starting classes soon in another department so I will be away from my desk sometimes and she just said darling take your time, enjoy the class.
My first day joining the class, the task was assigned to the interns, I joined a team of 4. The task was to design a motor part website, damn I was lost like… 😂.
After the class, we had a brief meeting to discuss how to carry out the project, that same day we shared it among ourselves and I was asked to get images for the site. Two days later I was asked to duplicate the wireframe on paper into the computer and send to the team lead so when I got the paper, everything was just strange, that I love AI and Tech movies right from childhood didn’t explain a thing on that paper, after doing that, I went to my colleague to please explain to me how everything was manipulated into a site and what was on the paper so at least I could say something on the presentation day he said I won’t understand it, I insisted, kept disturbing him about it.
The day I stopped asking for explanations was the day he told me to my face “can never know this no matter how hard you try so what’s the point explaining it to you Abs, just let it go it’s not for you.” damn…, that word sank into my soul and to my bone marrow, it triggered that no-no girl in me, I told him right back to the face “I WILL SURPRISE YOU” laughing, he said Abs just forget it okay and left.
I got back to the office, straight to my office desktop, straight to google guess what I searched for???
“How to design a website” July 2018 the journey began. I watched and watched and watched tutorials, read articles, pdfs, was practicing on freecodecamp.org, borrowed laptop from a colleague since I had none then morning, afternoon, night.
I was learning to program, In my quest for learning, I met a friend on Facebook who turned one of my best friends today after seeing a site he designed, I dived into his DM, got into his head at the moment, got his attention and that was how I got a mentor.
He offered to guide me and next I was in love with tech, and the lawyer part of me left for good. With his help, I got to know about some tech hubs like Andela and others I got to know about while learning.
A few months later after the internship, Nnamdi called, we talked like we used to but before he dropped the call, he asked for my IG handled which I gave him, few mins later he called back and was like wow, are you for real… I was surprised and confused not until he asked, “You now write codes?” I told him how can when it’s not for me and I can never understand it, I had to thank him for pushing me into making that decision even though I surprised him as I promised. He said he didn’t know…
I am not regretting the decisions I made 2 years ago, besides am more satisfied than the lawyer thing. I am fulfilled, happy, in love with the new me now. Tech is life, it feels like the blood that flows through my veins,
I LOVE TECH.
GENESYS
After the encounter in 2018, my clique of friends changed, I had new smart tech friends who have been helping me get more exposed to innovations and things. I in question loves learning new things except for things that don’t trip me or things that have not passed by because I will surely give it a trial.
I got to know about Genesys Tech Hub from a friend who applied for the Learnable internship. Damn his success stories already got me tripping like I can’t wait to see things for myself.
Genesys Tech Hub shaped him, manufactured him, eemmh what else… He came out rebranded looking like shawarma that just came out of the oven, as usual, I couldn’t wait to have a taste.
I always follow their social media handles for updates, from afar, I could feel the flame burning from within. Genesys Tech Hub has a lot of beautiful souls with banks of knowledge. Last year I couldn’t apply so I made up my mind that I must this year.
Currently, in my finals, I wished I could fast forward and graduate so I could be an offline intern to taste and lick the plate and be rebranded like my friend but I just can’t help it 😢 I can’t wait till next year and I hoped to get the best out of every moment as a virtual intern.
I can vividly remember how I felt when I got my acceptance mail, I couldn’t help but reply because it made my day 💪💃.
Watching Jerry, Ezra, Osita, and others talk during the induction session, I knew am in the right place. They triggered me the more to learn.
It wasn’t just an Induction for me, It was a revelation into deep things with amazing videos that could transform a man.
I won’t mind saying again and again that Genesys is full of beautiful souls. I’d love to be part of them.
I am soo excited that am part of the Learnable 2020 intern,
Friends, You can’t afford to miss this experience. More stories coming!!!
#everythingislearnable #wearegenesys #learnable20