Trained to Triumph: Remidious Enefola’s Tech Story

When Remidious first joined the Semicolon techpreneurship program, she had high expectations but didn’t anticipate the moments of tears, joy, and frustration she would experience while trying to succeed in the world of software engineering.

After graduating with a degree in accounting, she could only find an administrative role with an information and communications technology company in Abuja. This was where her interest in tech started. She often wondered what it would be like to work in the technical department since her duties were mostly administrative. She had noticed that individuals in the tech industry often appeared well-groomed and financially successful.

Curious to learn more, she started looking into schools that teach software engineering. A friend told her about Semicolon, saying it’s a program held in Lagos where you learn in person.

Excited to embark on the new journey, Remidious set her mind on giving her all to Semicolon’s techpreneurship program. However, during the first months, as they transitioned from the problem-solving module to the core programming courses, she encountered difficulties in learning the languages and concepts. Struggling with imposter syndrome, she became disheartened and broke down in tears. On numerous occasions, she contemplated abandoning the program and returning home.

Remidious recalls, “One thing I remember about my facilitators during this period was that I never felt judged when I approached them. It was as if they had encountered many people in my situation before, which gave me hope to persevere.” As she progressed further in the program, her patience began to yield results. The concepts became easier to understand.

To her great joy, 10 months into the program, Remidious secured a job as a full-stack engineer at FCMB. Today, she credits Semicolon not only for their support and training but also for their emphasis on molding individuals into problem solvers. Semicolon has taught Remidious how to learn. With the knowledge she received from the program, she now explores new languages like ColdFusion Markup Language and refuses to confine herself to a single specialization.

Remidious is now confident that anything is achievable. Even in moments of struggle with newer languages, she is certain to triumph.