Celebrating Triumph: TIIDELab Cohort 6 Pre-Fellowship 4.0 Graduation and Appreciation

Introduction: A Day to Remember

Good day, my friends in the virtual space! I am still Sule Abdulhakeem, and I am here with more goodies for you all. Yesterday, on the 2nd of August 2024, my fellow members and I celebrated our graduation from the TIIDELab Cohort 6 Pre-Fellowship 4.0 program. The ceremony took place in a live Google Meet session and featured various events, including our prefellowship video documentary journey, goodwill messages, final presentations for our team projects (which I had the honor of presenting for my team), the awarding of certificates, commendations, and recognition of outstanding students. I'll definitely be shedding more light on some of these highlighted events.

Gratitude to TIIDELab: A Platform for Growth

Firstly, I want to use this medium to appreciate TIIDELab for giving me and other members like myself the chance to be part of something great and for nurturing our talents, some of which we didn't even know we had. I also hope to get into the Fellowship Program so I can continue building and equipping myself and the tech community. I for one, can say I've taken a lot from the prefellowship program. I've learned to be more confident in myself, and it has also helped me work on my soft skills like presentation, communication, teamwork, collaboration, time management, and problem-solving. With the different skills I achieved in this program, I definitely want to impact the community and the tech world positively.

Team 3 (EVOLUTION): A Journey of Collaboration and Excellence

Team 3 (EVOLUTION) - wow, where do I even begin? My teammates have been the absolute best, and I want to thank them for nominating me as the Most Outstanding Team Member, which moved me to tears and filled me with joy. Even though it was a team effort that got us to the finish line, I want to start by thanking our mentor, Miss Abigael, who has been amazing to us all, always ready to help when called upon, and coordinating us to achieve our tasks and goals. I remember how she always says, "I know I'm talking too much, do you people like hearing my voice?" also Our team lead, Mogaji Bolaji, or as we like to call him Mogaji of Designs, he has played key roles during my time here and has been awesome in performing his leadership role to perfection. Assistant Team Lead Gbenuade Fatima Momoh, Adetutu Momoh Kehinde, Akpesiri Ughe, Cyril Theophilus, Divine Jason, Grace Akpe-Ushie, and Ojesanmi Damilare Moses have all impacted me positively in different ways and made me realize the strength in confiding and collaborating with others. Words can't express how much I appreciate each and every one of you.

Acknowledging General Members: Building Bonds and Growing Together

General Members, my teammates aside, I still want to thank each and every other member of the prefellowship program, including Zubairu Yunusa Jnr, my accountability partner, Akpan, Temilope, Idris, Sodiq, who are also my accountability partners, and others like Abdulateef Abioye, Fatima, Ahmed, our class governors and their deputies, etc. You all have helped me grow, and I am truly happy to see us all cross the finish line. I also hope to see all your faces at the Fellowship program. It has been a joyful, innovative, and rewarding ride, which I really want and pray to continue.

Graduation Ceremony Highlights: Wisdom, Presentations, and Awards

Graduation ceremony: As I mentioned earlier, the ceremony featured various events and hosted great minds and mentors like Mr. Shamsudeen Aderoju, popularly known as Mr. Shamms, who is the program supervisor and like a father to us all. He ensured we absorbed all the knowledge the program had to offer and applied it justly, teaching us not only tech-related stuff but also enlightening us on our attitudes, soft skills, handwork, and much more. Also present was Mrs. Cynthia Shobayo, the program's director and a role model to us all, Mr. Ibrahim Dauda, Mr. John Orakwe MBA, and Mr. Ayodele Samuel Adebayo, popularly known as UncleBigBay, who was one of our tutors in the program. He is a great teacher, role model, tech expert, and a big brother to us all. We thank you for all you've done for us. The ceremony also hosted several TIIDELab alumni.

Final Presentations: Showcasing Our Hard Work

After the ceremony started with great wisdom and knowledge being passed on, which I am sure we all adhered to and grasped, it was time for the final presentation. Each team showcased what they had worked on for the past 6 weeks, and all I will say is, we all came in hard, and I am sure the audience felt our presence. Starting from Team 1 down to Team 10, we all brought our A-game and showcased it in style. I also participated and presented for my team, which is Team 3, and I'll just say I performed with maximum steeze and composure.

Awarding Certificates: Celebrating Achievements and Recognizing Excellence

It was time for the award of certificates, as well as commendation and recognition of outstanding students. They announced that the 81 of us who made it to the finals all graduated and collected our certificates. Then, they gave awards for different roles like Exceptional Team Leadership Award, Most Outstanding Team Member, Outstanding Voluntary Service, Special Recognition Award, and lastly, the Most Outstanding Student Award given to the top 3 students. In third position was Mrs. Jacinta Amaka Onyeodili, second position was Mariam Oyedunmade, and the first and best was Mr. Abioye Abdulateef Olajide.

Conclusion: Embracing the Future with Confidence

The TIIDELab Pre-Fellowship program has been a transformative journey, filled with learning, growth, and collaboration. From honing technical skills to developing soft skills like communication and teamwork, the experience has been invaluable. The support and guidance from mentors, the collaboration with teammates, and the encouragement from fellow participants have all contributed to a rewarding and enriching experience. As we move forward, I am excited to continue this journey in the Fellowship stage, eager to further develop my skills and make a positive impact in the tech community. Here's to the future and the endless possibilities it holds!