Today we meet Israel Ulelu who recently graduated from University of Nigeria with a degree in computer science and statistics.
Responses have been edited for clarity and length.
What is your degree in?
I recently graduated with a bachelor's degree in computer science and statistics from the University of Nigeria.
When did you join the Student Ambassadors community?
I joined the Student Ambassadors Community in January 2020 just before the COVID -19 Pandemic.
What was being a Student Ambassador like?
It was a wonderful experience. The program provided me with a platform to connect with a network of Student Ambassadors from around the world to share ideas and work together on technology-focused projects. I also got access to resources such as learning and development platforms - Azure Credit, etc., which contributed to the growth of my career. All these experiences equipped me with what I needed to organize and contribute to technology through community engagements that fostered the learning and growth of young people around the world.
Was there a specific experience you had while you were in the program that had a profound impact on you and why? For example – being involved in a Social Impact Project, Networking with a Cloud Advocate or MVP, Mentoring another Student Ambassador?
I had the opportunity to contribute to a lot of initiatives as a Student Ambassador, from featuring in the Students Project Showcase section of dotNet Conf 2020 - where I displayed some of the capabilities of computer vision as part of the offerings of Azures’ Cognitive Services - to being part of the organizers for the Game of Learners Clinics 2021, a 3-month long virtual boot camp for students and young developers to learn the basics of software design and the development lifecycle.
I and a couple of fellow Student Ambassadors also put together the XR Community here in Nigeria where we push several engagements around Extended Reality, one of which included a 4-week long Extended Reality Bootcamp hosted in collaboration with Microsoft ADC where young technologists from various career paths such as product management, design and engineering, came together and worked as a team to develop an Extended Reality solution. Provided with mentors from several leading organizations in the Extended Reality space, they produced amazing Edutech and healthcare MVP solutions.
Some other favorite opportunities include the Microsoft Imagine Cup Junior, Student Summit Africa, Global Azure Bootcamp etc.
All these experiences had an equally profound impact on me. But the common factor was always the opportunity for me to contribute to the growth and development of others, which was a major goal for me coming into the program.
Tell us about a technology you had the chance to gain a skillset in as a Student Ambassador? How has this skill you acquired helped you in your post-university journey?
I think the skillset the program really helped me gain is building cloud-based solutions. The Student Ambassadors’ monthly Azure credits really helped me explore building and shipping Web and Artificial Intelligence-based solutions using cloud technologies.
This comes in handy every day in my role as a software engineer, which requires building, shipping, and scaling software products with millions of users.
What is something you want all students, globally, to know about the Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador Program?
The Student Ambassadors program is a huge steppingstone to building a career in technology, whether you are looking to develop yourself in hard skills like software engineering, project management, product ops etc., or soft skills like public speaking, communication, and collaboration. The Microsoft Student Ambassador program provides initiatives you can contribute to, which will help you learn and grow. You can also share your ideas and produce initiatives with a network of people willing to support and collaborate with you.
What advice would you give to new Student Ambassadors, who are just starting off in the program?
As much as the program gives you the opportunity to learn, grow and contribute to the growth of others, do not overlook the power of networking and collaboration. The Student Ambassadors program is a global community.
Share a favorite quote with us! It can be from a movie, a song, a book, someone you know personally. Tell us why you chose this. What does it mean for you?
“Life is a series of chain reactions.” – Unknown.
This has been a guiding principle for me. Knowing that my actions, no matter how small, have an impact both on myself and others and lead to other actions and occurrences.
Tell us something interesting about you, about your journey
I have a whole lot of interests and passions. While that is a problem for some people, it plays out as a strength for me. I can contribute immensely to any space I find myself in.
You can follow Israel on his social media pages:
Twitter: @IzyPro_
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/uleluisrael
