Meet a recent Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador graduate Joshua Dakim Solomon

[Guest StudentDeveloperTeam]

This is the next segment of our blog series highlighting Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors who achieved the Gold milestone, the highest level attainable, and have recently graduated from university. Each blog in the series features a different student and highlights their accomplishments, their experience with the Student Ambassador community, and what they’re up to now.

 

 

 

Today we meet Joshua who recently graduated with a bachelor’s in Physics from University of Jos in Nigeria.

 

 

 

Responses have been edited for clarity and length.

 

 

 

When did you join the Student Ambassadors community?

 

 

 

July 2022.

 

 

 

What was being a Student Ambassador like?

 

 

 

Archimedes once said, “Give me a place to stand, and a lever long enough with a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world.” This quote has been my guiding light since I became a Microsoft Ambassador. This opportunity has given me the platform to take on the role of a superhero to my community in Northern Nigeria. Evidently, Northern Nigeria stands as the most underrepresented tech community in Nigeria and Africa at large, owing to the fact that it is the most under-educated region in Nigeria. However, the MLSA program has provided me with valuable and unlimited resources to upskill and teach my community. Additionally, I have the opportunity to inspire young people from this region to transition into tech by properly educating them.

 

Partnering with other ambassadors both in Nigeria and in the diaspora, I have hosted global programs like the Global Power Platform Bootcamp, CloudSkills Challenge, and the maiden Microsoft Student Summit in Northern Nigeria, putting Jos, Nigeria, on the global stage. All these efforts were to give my community the opportunity to learn valuable skills and compete favorably with their counterparts. Truly, the MLSA Program has given me a place to stand, a lever, and a fulcrum long enough that I could move the world around me.

 

 

 

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Was there a specific experience you had while you were in the program that had a profound impact on you and why?

 

 

 

In November 2023, I had the incredible opportunity to speak at the West African MCT/MVP Summit in Abuja, Nigeria. This event brought together MVPs, MCTs, Cloud Advocates, tech professionals, and subject-matter experts from various industries worldwide. Speaking at this summit allowed me to reach a global audience, connect with brilliant minds, and significantly enhance my personal and professional growth.

 

 

 

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Tell us about a technology you had the chance to gain a skillset in as a Student Ambassador. How has this skill you acquired helped you in your post-university journey?

 

 

 

During my ambassadorship, I had the opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge of data science and machine learning. I learned and built projects using Azure Machine Learning Studio, which gave me a competitive edge in the field of data science. This skill has significantly shaped my path towards becoming a computational physicist and has furthered my aspirations to become a research and development professional in the field of ML and AI for multinational companies.

 

 

 

What is something you want all students, globally, to know about the Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador Program?

 

 

 

The program is truly amazing, offering opportunities for personal growth and the chance to make a positive impact on your community through technology. It serves as a great starting point, launching you into new adventures that can significantly alter the trajectory of your career and help you overcome potential failures.

 

 

 

What advice would you give to new Student Ambassadors, who are just starting in the program?

 

 

 

Set your goals and pursue them.

 

 

 

Share a favorite quote with us! It can be from a movie, a song, a book, or someone you know personally. Tell us why you chose this. What does it mean for you?

 

 

 

"There is no passion to be found in playing small, settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living." By Nelson Mandela. It truly emphasizes the importance of striving for greatness and not settling for mediocrity. It’s inspiring to see how I applied this mindset to my journey as a Microsoft Ambassador and my efforts in uplifting your community.

 

 

 

Tell us something interesting about you, about your journey.

 

 

 

My journey in academia and the Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador (MLSA) program has been an incredibly interesting adventure. When I was accepted into the MLSA program, I was already serving as the president of my department. Balancing my studies, my role as president, and my responsibilities as an ambassador was one of the most challenging tasks I have ever undertaken. However, the impact I was making within my community provided me with the strength to overcome these challenges, shaping me into an individual that I have always dreamt of becoming.

 

 

 

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You can follow Joshua here:

 

 

 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-dakim-129096233/

 

Twitter: x.com

 

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