Carroll Kariuki: Meet a Kenyan lady who was born in a remote village and now works for Google in California.

Women have been involved in major technological initiatives for years, including programming the first computer and developing the code that placed men on the moon, but structural lack of representation has always held them back.

Carol Kariuki, a Kenyan software developer who received scholarships from both Microsoft and Google, discussed her meteoric career.

“I’m looking forward to joining Facebook today. I’m grateful that my Software Engineering background and community engagement with developers have led me to this point. I’ll be collaborating with Facebook, Instagram, Oculus, Messenger, and Instant Games creators. I’m ecstatic. Let’s get started. Thank you, Lord,” she said on her Facebook page.

Destiny Helpers

Carol, the second child of a pharmacy father and a fashionista mother, attended The Kenya High School, where one of her first influences, Mary Amisi Ncube, her then computer studies instructor, ignited her interest in the digital industry.

“I enjoyed computer classes while still in secondary school, and my instructor was essential in getting us to think ahead and outside of our classroom curriculum,” she explained.

She admitted to being the type of person who gets tired quickly, which made the ever-growing area of software development a wonderful match for her.

After finishing school, the aspiring software engineer enrolled in a cellphone programming course at the eMobilis Mobile Technology Academy, which was one of the first to provide mobile programming using the Massachusetts Institute of Technology syllabus.

Creativity and Innovation

The ambitious student recently released her maiden application on the Nokia Apps Store.

“I was a Smartphone developer with several apps in the Nokia store. I was highlighted in several newspapers for my work, and I also received scholarships from Microsoft and Google to further my talents in Windows Phone Programming and Android Developer, respectively “she said.

Her popularity skyrocketed as a result, and she quickly found herself as the country coordinator for the Facebook Developers Circles Program.

“A buddy of mine, who was the Nairobi Head, was seeking a team to assist him operating the community as a result of my interactions with other developer communities. I immediately dived in since that was something I had always wanted to try “she clarified.

Career Breakthrough

It resulted in an even more astonishing breakthrough in her budding career, as she was moved to the Facebook offices in Silicon Valley, US, for the whole Facebook expertise.

She was then chosen to attend the Facebook Heroes of Change initiative in Accra, Ghana, among 40 other community leaders, innovators, developers, and innovators from around Sub-Saharan Africa, where she was named one Of the most Outstanding Female Leaders.

Carol, an enthusiastic scholar, finds inspiration from a variety of sources, but when asked to name the most motivational quotation, she chose Lorna Ogolla, a high school friend and mentor.

“I needed something to live by as she was ready to take her last test. I was expecting a profound statement, but all she said was, “God Always.” It was straightforward, yet deep “she clarified

Lorna later received a scholarship to MIT in the United States, then another one to Stanford University, and now working for Google in California.

Despite the growing demand for ICT skills as a result of a worldwide population that is progressively doing business and interacting electronically, the number of women working in this field remains low.