If you've followed my tech journey for a while, you probably know that having the right resources hasn't always been easy for me.
In my early years in tech, I struggled with owning a good laptop. I needed one to learn, practise, and build projects, but owning one wasn't something I could easily afford.
So, I started applying for laptop scholarships.
I applied for several opportunities, including Edustipend, Cardtonic, the Enyata MacBook giveaway and the She Code Africa laptop scholarship, among others. I kept trying because I knew how much having a laptop would help my journey.
One of the opportunities I applied for was the She Code Africa laptop scholarship in Q1 of 2024, but I didn't get it.
Did I give up? No.
I applied again for the Q2 scholarship.
And that second application changed things for me.
I received an email informing me that I had been shortlisted. But there was a catch: I had to attend the She Code Africa 2024 annual event because that was where the laptops would be distributed.
We were given raffle draw codes, and the winners would be selected during the event.
When I got the news that I had been shortlisted, I was excited, but I also knew that being shortlisted didn't automatically mean I would get a laptop. I still had to win the draw.
On the day of the event, I was nervous.
In fact, I barely talked to anyone. I was just there, taking everything in and waiting for the raffle draw.
Then it was time.
Omo, I was literally shaking!
I kept asking myself, what if I don't win this laptop?
I had applied for so many opportunities before, and none of them had worked out. This felt like my last hope, and I really wanted it to work out.
Then came the moment.
My raffle draw number was selected.
But guess what?
I was still arguing that the number wasn't mine!
I couldn't even believe it. I was there questioning whether the number they had called was actually my number.
It took the person sitting behind me to make me realise what was happening. They told me that it was my number and that I needed to get up and collect my laptop.
Imagine!
The same person who had walked into that event feeling nervous and wondering what would happen was suddenly being called to collect a laptop.
And that was how I won a laptop through the She Code Africa laptop scholarship at the 2024 annual event.
Honestly, the God of the eleventh hour came through for me.