Omotola; Our face of Optimism

One of the most fascinating things I learned that inspired my journey to tech was that the first programmer was a woman, what a life!

Before Omotola Ojegbile’s time at the EveryGirl program, she had plans to study Computer Science. Now, while that hasn’t changed -she is currently enrolled at the University of Bauchi- Omotola works as a frontend developer at YenExpress.

Growing up, Omotola aspired to be an Orthopedic Surgeon to help kids with bone and joint-related issues. A very good choice and one she still holds very dear irrespective of her career change, however, Omotola had a change of heart. One of her reasons for the switch was in her own words “Tech money is big money”. Irrespective, “technology makes life easier and it is going to continue to do so and I want to be a part of that. Soon, coding will be just as important as reading”.

Omotola hails from Oyo state and likes to bake, watch movies and have good conversations with friends. A very optimistic person, Omotola is of the strong opinion that she has the opportunity to make a difference in the world as a young developer “One of the things EveryGirl taught me was that to make tomorrow easier, you have to be doing something about it right now. So, whatever happens, I plan to keep upskilling myself”.

Omotola Ojegbile was a fellow of the EveryGirl program hosted by the KSH Foundation. A program aimed at empowering, enabling, and introducing young women to technology.

What was EveryGirl’s impact on your personal and professional life?

EveryGirl has had such a huge impact on me, both personally and professionally. On a personal level, it opened my eyes to how important it is to take care of my mental health. Those uplifting messages taught me the power of staying positive, no matter what life throws at you. I realized I needed to actively look out for my well-being and boost my self-confidence, even when things got tough. And in my professional life, EveryGirl was a game-changer! I learned that like everything else, communication required you to put in the work. Learning to express myself clearly and listen to others became my super tool for building solid relationships at work and everywhere else.

An experience or moment in the EveryGirl program you hold on to?

Undoubtedly, a moment that stays with me every day was the session with Mrs. Farida Kabir. Of course, the entire program was a very memorable experience for me. But the session with Mrs. Kabir holds higher. It was such an emotional night and I believe this was so for the rest of the girls as well.  Her profound wisdom and inspirational insights left an indelible mark on me as a woman, influencing me in ways I cherish.

Have you ever had a day you referred to it as a perfect day? Describe that day.

Yes. When I was in SS1. I and a group of friends had planned a fun hangout at one of our houses. We were on a mission to cook up some mouthwatering Indomie and sardines and bake a cake together. However, we spent more time chatting away. We talked about school life and our plans after secondary school. We were green-eyed and didn’t know what we were talking about, but it was all good fun. Pure excitement, zero negativity or frustration. Thinking about it now, brought back good memories.