#ConsonanceAt2 Stories: Boyewa Richard
Boyewa Richard is a Senior Software Engineer and an Engineering manager at Konga. Boyewa joined us in celebrating our 2nd year anniversary on Sunday the 13th of April 2019 by sharing his inspirational story. Be prepared to be inspired in an interesting way.
Here is the story as shared with us on twitter
Thanks @ConsonanceClub for this opportunity. It is indeed a privilege. I am Boyewa Richard, I graduated with a degree in Computer Science and Engineering from Obafemi Awolowo University. I am a full-time software engineer, and an engineering manager at Konga. My love for technology started a long way back into my childhood.
I made toys for myself and also for my siblings. I never knew anything called programming, in fact, I was more into rotors, transistors, diodes, resistors etc. During my undergrad registration as a fresh man, I saw a lot of students using their laptops in classrooms and corridors, and I thought the University gave them, well I was damn wrong! !! Fast forward, I was introduced to my first programming course in year one, and I fell in love with programming from day 0. I have always made circuits do what I wanted, but now it’s the computer, this ’thing’ must do what I want, I said to myself
While trying to recover from the realization that nobody gives laptops to students, I started printing pages of my python textbook from the stipend given to me — Well, I had to choose, programming or good food, I chose programming :-D
After reading and digesting what I have read, I would trade the pages of the printed textbook for Suya so that once in a while, my garri could get something to play with in my tommy
Never seeing ‘Not having a computer’ as a barrier, I would right my codes in an exercise book, and proceed to Angola hall where a very good friend who had a Toshiba laptop was staying — I am sure the pal is reading this, You are a Gee! !! I would then transfer the handwritten code into his computer, well as you can imagine — I would receive the shock of my life with several lines of error codes. An inner question is “Who send me this thing self…” but I rebuked the voice :-D
I eventually met a 500 level student who allowed me store some e-books on his 512MB RAM desktop, but unfortunately, the system could not run the IDE, so my paper IDE was still my best bet till weekend. It was tough, damn it was really tough, but guess what, I enjoy telling the story of how I overcame those difficult days cos you too can survive. It’s just a matter of time and determination. You will tell your own stories too. Through my journey, there were numerous lessons picked from each hurdle. I will share as much as I can with, but please learn from it, and don’t chicken out when life proves most difficult. Okay?… Let’s continue
Let me also mention this: I didn’t have a personal computer, laptop was even alien to me, and wireless mouse mmh… that was a magic wand :-D
My parent really wished they could buy me one of those things we saw in movies called “laptop”, but account balance was a “C-Caution” to that thought. Several funny experience in between… wo! o serious. Finally, a miracle happened! It was indeed a miracle. My parent got a loan to buy me a laptop, Hallelujah sombori! !!… well the story still continues. With the full knowledge of how the money came in, the laptop was the most precious thing in my family. I would rather fall and break a bone than let my laptop hit hard on any surface. … and my father said to me “This is it, it is whatever you make of it. It is either a tool or a toy, the choice is yours”… brodas and sisters…. oro yen deep! … and that was how I became a rogue! Threw away all forms of distraction, just to make this thing a “tool”. Now, here is another issue. “How do I balance school work with this new addiction?”… and mind you, I had spent 7 years at home already before admission… as in shey mo wa okay abi? that was what I asked myself oo
I started testing different strategies :-D. Some worked, and some backfired, but I never failed any course. I would spend the day reading like a mad man and night reading programming books on “Hi-man’s” laptop (Emmanuel a 500 level electrical engineering student)
Well, this strategy worked. Lesson — Know your strength, focus on it, and your weakness will become invisible to the external world. I also watched the kind of friends I had. Friends who would challenge your thinking and sometimes make you feel like a dumb-ass, those were the friends I had. We all made it out of OAU strong! Probably because of my background, I was willing to share anything I knew, I mean anything. Lesson — You don’t become less by sharing what you know, knowledge is like a tree, teaching and mentoring others waters it
The future looked impossible, but man.. here we are today, mama is proud! Never look down on yourself, you can’t choose the family you are born into, you can’t choose your father, neither can you choose a mother, and likewise, they couldn’t pick from those million eggs too
But, you can determine how to live this life of yours. I don’t believe in LUCK, that word has kept many in the same spot for many years.
WHEN YOU ARE PREPARED, AND YOU CONVERT ONE OR MORE OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES THEN THEY SAY YOU ARE LUCKY
No, you were prepared for it. When life proves hard, you too, strike harder. Be determined, resolute, tough. Understand that it is possible to make it legitimately without cutting corners. I have worked in bakery, as laborer on construction sites (at the mercy of foreman), apprentice at a welder’s shop the list goes on and on, but I promised myself ( not my parents, but MYSELF ) I would not indulge in any form of illegitimate activities. That kept ringing in my ears, even at the most difficult hour, I didn’t compromise. You too can, yes you can! Finally, share what you know. There is no competition except with your yesterday, always strive to be better than you were yesterday, and that is the real competition. Go for it! Thanks for reading. Keep slaying! !!
You can reach out to Boyewa on twitter @RichardBoyewa. I am sure he will be very happy to answer any questions you might have.
Happy Anniversary! :)
