The New Adewunmi — Adewunmi Adegunwa’s Story

Adewunmi was always curious as a child. She questioned why things were the way they were, like most inquisitive kids do. After secondary school, Adewunmi took on different jobs like teaching, sales, working as a porter at a university hostel, and some administrative work.

Despite having various responsibilities, she was determined to continue her education. So, she enrolled part-time at Yaba College of Technology, focusing on computer science. This meant switching between her classes and job duties.

While studying computer science, Adewunmi noticed that the curriculum was mostly about theories. Practical skills like software engineering, which can actually make a difference in the real world, were not emphasized in the program, and as such, students were mainly focused on passing exams.

After completing her education, Adewunmi considered returning to tailoring but decided to work as a sales representative at a financial institution. Despite her new job, she felt there was more to explore in life.

During that wanting-for-more moment, Adewunmi’s friend Hadiza, who had just joined Semicolon as a student (Native), told her about the program. Interested in the chance to achieve something significant, she decided to apply. Her initial worry about joining was money-related. However, she felt relieved when she found out that Semicolon had a partnership with Learnspace, which provides the option for loans. This sealed her decision to apply.

At the beginning of the program, Adewunmi took on a leadership role in her cohort, being one of the leaders in her class. This position brought out a different side of her personality. She had to become more social and take on leadership responsibilities.

In her words, “The community was like a source of strength. People are always ready to help or share. The community is beautiful, and it keeps on growing.” As the program was about to end, Adewunmi had to learn how to balance getting ready for her upcoming wedding and finishing her training. With huge support from the community, she did well in her studies and also managed to plan and enjoy her wedding, which was a happy moment in her life.

Now, Adewunmi’s dream of getting better has taken a step forward, and she proudly adds a backend engineer to her portfolio. With the skills she learned at Semicolon and her dedication to getting better, there’s no doubt she’ll do great things.