I’ve Found My Way to the Right Path — Esther Aiyeola’s Story

The common struggle many youths face at one point is whether they have made the right career choice. This was my struggle too. How tech came onto my radar is still a mystery, a slow shift of fate. From wanting to become a doctor — you know how it goes in Nigeria — I ended up studying some random course in agricultural sciences. Yes, the tech sis Esther sharing this story could have ended up somewhere far from this path.

In school, I took a course in computer programming. My curiosity rose, so I mentioned it to my brother, who introduced me to his friend, a QA Tester. That was the first person who urged me to register with a tech institute. So, I signed up for one of the popular online institutes, but I lacked motivation and found myself using Chat GPT to pass my tasks.

Then, one day, something clicked. I stumbled upon a video of a girl, Eden Elenwoke, then a student at Semicolon. She spoke about how her software engineering program was changing her life. Her story resonated with me so deeply that I applied immediately.

I didn’t think about how the people around me were going to take my sudden career change.

I guess my mother is like every other typical African mother — protective of her children, especially when it comes to someone like me, venturing into something entirely new to her, like software engineering. She strongly opposed it when I brought it up. The only person who supported me was my brother.

In the first three months, the psychological strain was immense. Whenever I couldn’t grasp certain concepts, I found myself crying in the restroom, doubting whether my family was right about this being a mistake.

Things improved when my mother finally understood why tech was a good fit for me. Her friend, who lived abroad, reassured her that it was a great decision. Proud of my choice, he sent me money and encouraged me to think about building a tech company. But I had to learn first, and that was no easy feat.

The reality of becoming a software engineer hit me hard. Nights blurred into mornings with just three or four hours of sleep, only to wake up to the frustration of seeing that the code I labored over still wouldn’t work. It was draining, both physically and mentally, but each failure pushed me to dig deeper, to try just one more time.

What kept me going through that frustration was the community. Seeing others with similar stories making it through motivated me. The facilitators also played a huge role in saving my sanity. I thrive in practical learning environments, and being able to discuss the concepts I struggled with in person made a world of difference.

One other thing you should know about me is that I was born with a squint — crossed eyes. My childhood was marked by bullying, and I had few friends. Semicolon surprised me. It was the first place where no one made fun of my eyes. I made more friends than I’d ever had before and I felt truly comfortable. I’ll always be grateful for that.

Now, Semicolon has shown me what it means to make an impact. I believe it’s my turn to give back. Realizing that most of my facilitators were the top of their classes, I’ve decided to measure up to that standard and become a facilitator too. There’s still a significant gap in technical skills in Africa, and I’m determined to help bridge that gap. I have a new mission, one linked to Semicolon — to enable Africa’s digital transformation.

If Esther could find her way, so can you. Visit apply.semicolon.africa to begin your journey.