Cohort Stories: Meet Edward O.
vol. 6, no. 43 — guest post by Edward Olu
I am proud of my identity. Being both Nigerian and Kenyan was looked down upon by most of my relatives back in Africa at the time of my birth. I was born around the time where marrying outside of your own country was a sin and that the child born under these conditions will not live to see anything positive. So to find ways to succeed and rise and prove people wrong will always make me smile. Having blood of both the east and west of Africa is also a very cool title to hold onto that I show off with pride.
With a title like that on someone like me who is stubborn and prepared to make my family proud, I am unstoppable.
Technology has been with me since I was born. Whether it be video games or even just tv shows, I was always consuming it. I want to be a part of it now that I have grown and matured to an age that I can. I want to be more than just a consumer. I want to know how certain things work and run. I want to create things that people can use and be wide-eyed about. With technology also being everywhere now, understanding how it works is amazing and powerful.
One of my biggest motivators would have to be my dad. He’s the hardest working person I know. And without going into private detail, he’s been pushed to edges that most men would just crumble and fold at but he stood tall through it all. His dedication and tenacity is what drives me to keep going and never let life hold me down. It’s with his attitude and actions to back up his words that I want to strive to be just like him in all I do.