I Studied Law, But Women Techsters Helped Me Find My Future in Technology and Reach J.P. Morgan

For Winifred Imade Ogbeiwi, Law school was not the final destination. And a single link to the Women Techsters Fellowship introduced her to a world she had only begun exploring, setting in motion a transition that would take her from Law to Computer Engineering and eventually to J.P. Morgan.

My name is Winifred Imade Ogbeiwi. I studied Law, but deep down, I knew I did not want to practice it for the long-term. While I was in university, I had already started exploring technology on the side, but I still had no clear idea of what a career in tech could look like for me.

This changed when the co-founder of Roothub shared a link to the Women Techsters Fellowship by Tech4Dev. I applied and became part of the Women Techsters Fellowship Class of 2023, an experience that would change the direction of my career.

Before joining the Fellowship, my thinking about my career and the opportunities available to me were quite limited. I did not even fully understand the importance of internships while in university, and I had no clear idea of how to position myself for opportunities at top companies. But the Fellowship introduced me to people who challenged and inspired me to think bigger.

Three months after completing the program, I secured two internships: one as a Frontend Developer, and another as an IT Support Specialist. One of these opportunities came directly through the program, while the other came from the confidence and motivation the Fellowship had given me to pursue opportunities for myself. These experiences became important steps in building my technical skills and gaining professional exposure.

From there, my career continued to grow. I received a scholarship to study in Poland, and I am now a semester away from completing my Computer Engineering degree on a first-class track. I also recently became a Full-Stack Developer at J.P. Morgan, where I have had the opportunity to work on tech projects, including a legal-tech application. Alongside my professional journey, I have also become an ambassador and mentor at my university, where I help other students navigate their own journeys into technology.

One achievement I am really proud of is securing my full-time role at J.P. Morgan, as getting there required balancing school, a full-time job, and preparation for a demanding technical role.

And years later after completing the Fellowship, I still have “Women Techsters Graduate ‘23” in my LinkedIn headline because I do not think I can tell the full story of my career without acknowledging the impact the Fellowship had on it.