Women in STEM Spotlight: Amrot Abiyu

I strongly believe in the power of hard work, for it is meant to enable us to achieve the unthinkable.
Let me introduce myself first. My name is Amrot Abiyu. Amrot is an Ethiopian high schooler living with her father and grandma in Addis, around Gulelle. She is a proud student of Nazareth School and the co-founder of Technoelpis- an association of young Ethiopian learners interested in the field of technology to share ideas/ experiences to help everyone discover and explore their ambitions through each other. We aim to influence people in a way that would change their lives for the better. She Carries a deep passion for sharing with others whatever type of knowledge and experience she comes across.
I have never in my entire life thought that there would be a single chance that I would get involved in the field of technology until last summer, when my amazing friend Nebus encouraged me to apply for a summer coding camp for high school students. I opposed at first. I didn’t like the idea and I thought the topic was not interesting at all because I didn’t have any understanding of the subject. That was until I got accepted and attended the program. In the process, I started falling in love with computer science. I found discovering the amusing complexions of programming delightful. Now that I think of it, it thought me that nothing but our way of thinking and perspectives stops us from exploring and enjoying our true selves. I wouldn’t have got the opportunity to discover my abilities and meet all those amazing people if I had decided not to apply just because I thought I wouldn’t make it.
Speaking of amazing people, I was lucky enough to make some great friends at the summer program, who are now my co-workers in the technology community we founded to make what we learned (programming/ computer science) accessible to every student. Technoelpis was founded by me and my four other colleagues in the January of 2022. We are now working on our virtual summer camp which consists of a coding course, self-development classes, and college application info sessions with student guests from top schools. From not knowing a single thing about computers to constructing a summer camp with over 50 students, it’s been quite a journey that wouldn’t have been true without the work and dedication of the team as well as our supporting members. I faced some challenges with some of the applicants for the program who were sometimes a bit ill-mannered and said unpleasant words or negative sentences on the comment sections of my Technoelpis social media posts. Despite these issues, I knew very well that what I am doing for myself as well as my community was much more than how a random individual tried to define it. I also had some difficulties managing my time at first, but now I can schedule everything and get my work done in a disciplined manner. I was able to understand that challenges were not there to stop me from accomplishing what I dream of or tear me down, but to shape me into the strong and hardworking young lady I aspire to become. Building this mindset helped me to focus on the numerous positive blessings I was granted and keep pushing forward.
I still have an extensive journey and countless experiences to live through. All that I am doing today wouldn’t have been true if it wasn’t for all the supportive and great people around me. I would very much like to thank every one of them.