From Solitaire

I first encountered a computer when I was 6. I couldn’t do much on it. All I did was play Solitaire, Minesweeper, Dave and Mario. I knew then that this is what I wanted to do when I grew up. No, not play Solitaire. I mean, I’m like a champion and average 90 seconds on a game but, that’s not what I’m talking about. I haven’t encountered the other games in a long time either, however, I quickly learnt how to change background photos and play with Paint. Then I started to explore Word and oh, listen, word is magical. It looks like a paper, you ‘drop cap’ and everything you just typed looks like a newspaper section. Isn’t that beautiful?! You see, I knew from then that computers are really interesting and I want to work with them. Over the time, I didn’t explore much because I had to go to school and computers are a “distraction”, but I still interacted with them from time to time.

When the time to join university came, I wanted to do Computer Science but everyone encouraged me to do Commerce. So I went … and then I dropped out. Accountants are really smart people, by the way. I could never do what they do. Now I had the opportunity to start afresh and I didn’t hesitate when asked what I wanted to do. I immediately responded with “Computers”. I come from a family that values education and that is something that I am very grateful to God for. So we found a school and I enrolled to do Information Systems and Technology.

My family supports all my adventures as I find myself in tech. I know they wanted me to become a doctor or an accountant. Dad even had hope that I might become an actuary. Now, he doesn’t know what I do but he loves what I do. He was the happiest parent at my graduation. Walk with me! I “fix” his phone and type his handwritten speeches really fast every other time, and I showed him how to save all his contacts with Google. I mean, he is winning!

While at uni, I struggled to find “my thing”. Everyone seemed to know what they were doing. They went into software development, game development, networking and the rest, but I didn’t see myself in these places. Then I discovered Human Computer Interaction and there, my journey to design kicked off. Technology and creativity in one thing? Sign me up.

I’m a Product Designer. Does my family know that? Yes. Do they get it? No! At my sister’s wedding, while my dad gave his speech, he said what all my siblings do in detail and when he got to my turn, he said, “This is Irene. My second-last born. She works with computers. Perhaps you can have a chat with her for a better picture.” And the whole room laughed. I thought, “I am actually a really good designer, guys.”

Which brings me to one of the things I have struggled with on this adventure. MENTORSHIP! Would I have found my way around easily and faster if I had mentorship from the start? What about other girls in this country who think computers are cool and do not know how to start? Let’s see how this goes …