My name is Sylvie Abube, and I come from Cameroon in West Africa. I grew up in Cameroon where things are not as rosy as they are in the United States. Growing up, a major challenge in the country was stable electricity. I moved to America at the age of 20. I am currently a sophomore majoring in Information Technology at Western Governors University. My STEM journey began in the classroom of one of the biggest computer training schools in my birth country, Cameroon. The moment I entered the school, I found myself excited yet overwhelmed by the list of available STEM classes to start with. It was an opportunity that not every high school student had and one I was grateful for. By pursuing and currently majoring in Information, I am trying to begin my path to having a part in the numerous changes Information Technology is making in our world. Technology is the future, and as a female, I think that making sure my opinions and voice are heard would inspire more women to join the STEM field. It is important to empower young girls and let them know they can work and pursue a male-dominated career. By having a place in the Information Technology field, I would be able to contribute my opinions, knowledge, and experience. I have always imagined working as a software engineer. I plan on learning some coding languages like python and JavaScript along with my Information Technology courses in my senior year of college. I want to pursue a career in Information Technology to help break the notion that the tech space is not for black people, and hopefully, through my endeavors help create a more equitable society in which my life experiences are an exception rather than the norm for many of the children in my community. My story is non-traditional, and neither is the path I’m pursuing. I hope to obtain my bachelor's degree in Information Technology because I have a passion for tech and want to make tech accessible and fun to all. However, as a black woman, I know that my journey will be unique and that the field I’m entering will make me a minority in my career. I want to pursue a career in Information Technology because I recognize the need to make it more diverse because is not just important to the future of tech, but to the black community as well. I believe the whole world is built by STEM. I want to make a positive impact on the world by building a better future. It makes me think about how the world is so advanced by looking at all the technologies. My life and volunteer experience have shown me that there is a crucial need for tech talent in nonprofits. I hope to help in safeguarding the networks nonprofits use to continue providing services to the community. Some of my goals include mentorship and assisting in creating programs that increase awareness of the resources within the community. The greatest challenge I have had to overcome is a debilitating fear of public speaking. I have always been super quiet due to my upcoming and being raised by my grandparents who were very strict and did not always allow me to express myself as a child on multiple occasions while growing up. I had closed myself off to avoid negative interactions and in turn, I missed out on valuable connections and opportunities. It was not until I joined enrichment programs for Information technology and job training that I found myself much more confident in myself. I also joined a debate club and worked through the discomfort to become a stronger speaker overall. Now, I can even deliver extemporaneous speeches with ease. One of the biggest work challenges I have overcome happened at my last job. Two team members were let go and I was left with the workload of three people. I fell behind and knew I could not keep up in the long term, so I asked my manager for help. We came up with a solution that involved hiring, getting temporary help from another team, and streamlining our team’s processes to be more efficient, too. The experience taught me a lot in terms of communication and problem solving, and I think I’m even better prepared for the next problem or challenge I will face since I overcame that previous obstacle despite it feeling hopeless initially. I think this has helped me get ahead in my personal and professional life and overcome obstacles.