Turning Career Uncertainty Into Clarity, Confidence and Community Impact Through Women Techsters

Finding the right career meant first figuring out what truly belonged to her. Moving from the Women Techsters Bootcamp to the Fellowship, and finally the Digital for All Challenge 2.0, Okorie Kelechi Jennifer finally gained clarity about who she wanted to become.

My name is Okorie Kelechi Jennifer, and my experience with Tech4Dev became a defining period of self-discovery.

Before joining any program, I had explored different career paths, moving from one option to another while trying to figure out what was right for me. Looking back, I realized that some of those choices were simply the euphoria of the moment, while others were influenced by what people around me thought would be best for me because I had not yet discovered my own career identity.

But my real journey began with the Women Techsters Bootcamp, a three-week program that gave me an opportunity to explore technology and begin understanding where I could fit within the industry. Years later, I was admitted into the one-year Women Techsters Fellowship, which gave me the opportunity to deepen my learning and grow professionally. I also participated in the Digital for All Challenge 2.0, which made my Tech4Dev journey one that moved across different learning experiences.

While the technical training was important, one of the things that had the greatest impact on me was weekly soft skills training. Professionals and experts shared their experiences and taught us about succeeding in the corporate workspace and in life generally. These sessions challenged the way I thought about my future and helped me understand myself better.

One of the achievements I am most proud of is the confidence I gained from not only learning new skills but also being able to apply them. The community project, which was a graduation requirement for the Women Techsters Fellowship, played an important role in building that confidence. It gave me an opportunity to put what I had learned into practice and showed me that I could use my skills to make an impact.

Today, I am able to participate in other community projects where I empower girls in my community. And being able to share what I have learned and encourage other girls has become an important part of my journey.

For me, what began as an exploration of different career paths became a journey of self-discovery, and the Women Techsters programs played an important role in helping me understand where I want to go and how I can contribute along the way.