Did Someone Say Black Girl Magic?
This story was orignally published by Wogrammer
Ledo Nwilene, a third-year student at Drexel University in Philadelphia and co-founder of Students of LinkedIn, is not afraid of breaking the status quo.
Ledo moved to the United States from Nigeria in pursuit of becoming a doctor. She found her purpose in technology instead. Discovering how present and ‘necessary’ tech was in every aspect of society, she switched her major from Biomedical Engineering to Computing and Security Technology.
Ledo and her two best friends wanted a way to share their journeys into tech but didn’t know how to connect with other students who were going through the same experiences. So, what would any normal group of best friends in college do to solve a problem? Build an online community. Students of LinkedIn is a platform on LinkedIn for students [now over 5,000] to document their journey, build their “personal brands,” and tap into their full potential. Ledo considers co-founding Students of LinkedIn the accomplishment she is most proud of.
I did not see many people that looked like me
“I did not see many people that looked like me, so I wanted to serve as hope and inspiration to those coming after me that the world of tech belongs to them too.”
In addition to creating a successful community, Ledo is also a Microsoft Diversity Tuition Scholar, NSBE45 Hackathon Winner, and a participant in highly selective programs hosted by Goldman Sachs, McKinsey & Company, and Deloitte [just to name a few]. Unsurprisingly, Ledo says the only thing she’s allergic to is mediocrity. Despite her impressive accomplishments and beautiful passion, her journey has not been smooth.
“Freshman year I walked into my first computer design lab class and was shocked after observing that I was the only female student and only student of color in a room of 30 people. That was my reality.”
The differences between Ledo and her classmates left her feeling like she had made a mistake by pursuing tech. But instead of throwing in the towel, Ledo chose to use her experience to build resilience and learn new skills. Inspired by her Father’s example, Ledo learned that resilience is about showing up every single day despite what life throws your way.
My father’s work ethic left me in awe.
My father’s work ethic left me in awe. He taught her the value of consistently striving for excellence to provide for his family and how to build a habit of consistently doing excellent work. Ten years from now, still striving for excellence herself, Ledo hopes to be blazing the tech trail in a head product role at a top tech company. She believes that the intersection of business and technology will transform lives across the globe. Ultimately, Ledo wants to provide African youth with the resources and support they need to explore STEM and change their nations for the better.
“To any young woman thinking of starting her journey to tech, you need an unwavering belief that you, yes you, belong in this field too.”
This story was orignally published by Wogrammer and written by Stephanie Nweke, Wogrammer Journalism Fellow. Connect with her on Linkedin.
