From Trying to Achieving — Glory Ginikachi Ihueze‘s Tech Journey

I can boldly say that I have always had a deep hunger for knowledge within my core. Life, however, always threw its own set of challenges my way. I was always hopeful; all I needed was one opportunity and the ability to seize that moment when it came.

After I completed my secondary education in 2015, my dream was to study sociology and psychology. Unfortunately, financial hurdles crushed that aspiration. To make ends meet, I took on the role of a basic school teacher, scraping together cheap wages from various schools.

Exhausted from the teaching jobs and in search of a brighter future, I dabbled in hairdressing for a while. After eight months of learning and styling, it hit me — I was straying too far from my academic ambitions. So, I left hairdressing behind and set my sights on a job that could help me save for my university entrance exams.

That pursuit led me to a biscuit factory, where I became a machine operator. It was tough and physically and mentally draining, especially during those never-ending day and night shifts. I continued chasing my educational dreams while working, but financial emergencies kept limiting my saving progress. Finally, in December 2021, four years into my factory job, I made the tough decision to resign.

Back at home, I contemplated my next move. I tried my hand at a sales position, but the long commute was unbearable and hardly worth the pay. That’s when a friend of my sister, whom I worked with in the factory, introduced me to Semicolon. My elder sister, Blessing, went ahead and joined the program. Hearing the cool stories surrounding Semicolon, I decided to take the leap. For me, it was the long-awaited chance to finally pursue the education I had always craved.

Joining the Semicolon program was a revelation. It was tough, and the learning process was much more complex than I had anticipated. While others tackled advanced courses like Java, I faced my initial struggle with Database. With my limited computer skills, it took me up to six months to grasp the concepts. I eagerly took on weekly assignments from my facilitators, like Chibuzo, and strived to conquer each task.

Before my time at Semicolon, there was not much I could boast about. But within the program, I not only gained new skills but also found the confidence to tackle new challenges.

As the program approached its end, I took on a capstone project, developing a logistics platform similar to Uber. Recognizing my talent, Nomadicpod (formerly RoadPadi), a portfolio company of Semicolon Ventures with a logistics platform, offered me an internship position. Eventually, this led to my becoming a full-fledged staff member.

Unlike many others, I initially had no grand tech dreams. I simply wanted to earn the kind of money I had heard people in tech could make. However, the experience at Semicolon transformed my mindset, and now I dream of becoming a significant player in tech and an influential figure in tech-deprived communities.