My name is Asiimwe Clara and I am part of the alumni community of Refactory. It’s been an incredible journey since I left my software engineering course in 2019. While the path has not been easy, I have discovered a world of opportunities and experiences that have enriched my life. After my course was done, it gave me an awakening and realization that being a hardcore coder may not be for me especially because of how time-consuming it was to juggle everyday life. Covid struck in 2020 and put a lot of things on standstill in the world. I landed on a graphic design opportunity to do a short course during the pandemic since I had decided this was the area I could easily flourish, i did graphic design online with Visiola Foundation School, Nigeria presented my final project, and got my certificate. I enjoyed graphic design because up to date it’s what I use for my businesses, designing my advertisements, flyers, prices etc. under the Figma program.
Pursuing a Passion Project
One of the most rewarding parts of my journey has been diving into grooming my child to learn the basics of coding, as a millennial who had to adapt to the changes of the world it makes more sense to start them early, with the knowledge I got from refactory I was able to guide a little one with the basics of coding. I bought a book ” A Coder Like Me” By Dr. Shini Somara And Nadja Sarell from an online store that can be found on Instagram called Mahiri Books, reading this book to my child was an opener for him. In this book we found a website that guides with creating a short movie, animation or game using ScratchJr, it has been such a great tool.
Embracing Uncertainty
Leaving the familiar path of a traditional career was daunting. There have been times when I questioned my decisions but through it all, I have learned to embrace uncertainty and trust the process. I am currently working at an investment management company as a personal assistant and this comes with a lot of roles to play having tried to change career paths from social worker to software engineer, and having that additional skill helped with acquiring my role at this company. As we all know, learning never ends with the constant competition in the different fields we all work in. I am currently pursuing a Master’s Degree to solidify myself in the working environment. Being at my current workplace has taken me to a lot of places including the Yearly Economic Growth Forum, the Erovo Impact Investment workshop which has taught me many things and picked so much for development.
Exploring the World
Another highlight has been the opportunity to explore other countries. I have not yet traveled much since I left the course but I have visited Nairobi, Kenya under my work to receive an award for our company 1Stock Limited Under the Forty under Forty Africa awards. It was a nice experience though I didn’t get to visit the National Park in the city but experiencing the city as a whole was an amazing experience, seeing the advanced technology that our country has not yet adapted to, their amazing transport system, and their huge airport. It leaves you wondering what more there is in the world and looking forward to going to countries like Singapore to keep on learning and exploring.
Inspiring Others
I hope that by sharing my story, I can inspire the current students to pursue their passions, embrace adventure, and never stop learning. The world is full of possibilities and the skills you gain in your software engineering course are just the beginning. The places you will go after will be unimaginable, most people are reacting to their lives and not actively creating their lives. So, if you’re feeling stuck or uncertain about the future, remember that the path is rarely straight. Trust your instincts, follow your curiosity as I did mine, and don’t be afraid to take the road less traveled, Who knows where it might lead?
