Abijah Mashava’s adventure started in Highfield, a small the city in Harare, Zimbabwe, and has carried him throughout continents, into boardrooms, and thru more than a few roles in instrument and methods engineering. Nowadays, he’s no longer just a tech founder and cloud marketing consultant founded in Central New York, however he’s additionally a proud graduate of the web Master of Information Technology program from the nationally ranked college Illinois Tech, finished on-line via Coursera.
Abijah’s tale is certainly one of ambition, neighborhood, and trust within the energy of era to uplift others.
“The area I come from has an overly younger inhabitants going through vital demanding situations, specifically a loss of assets,” Abijah says. “They’re those that raised me. I’ve been lucky to be right here in america, with get admission to to an establishment like Illinois Tech, and now I need to give again.”
Development the Talents to Construct Answers
Along with his engineering and important IT background, Abijah had already advanced a robust foundational skillset. However with the data that IT is hastily evolving, he searched for extra manner of schooling. He in the long run discovered this at Illinois Tech via a versatile, hands-on schooling that will let him develop professionally whilst empowering his long-term imaginative and prescient, which might in the end lend a hand him release tasks that get advantages the formative years of his homeland.
“I’ve a keenness for era and knowledge methods,” he says. “That’s one explanation why I selected this program. The opposite is the find out about comfort. I used to be operating full-time at a monetary establishment in New York, and later introduced my very own startup. Having the ability to find out about on my phrases made this conceivable.”
The Master of IT program at Illinois Tech, Chicago’s main tech-focused college, introduced Abijah an opportunity to deepen his talents whilst making use of what he realized in actual time. From full-stack instrument building to deploying cloud-based packages, the curriculum lined all of it.
“This program begins from the fundamentals and builds up. You learn how to increase an utility from scratch: {hardware} to deployment. It completely crammed in my wisdom gaps, particularly round cloud computing. Nowadays, cloud is central to my consulting paintings.”
Self assurance, Certifications, and Occupation Enlargement
The talents Abijah advanced via this system didn’t simply keep in the study room, they translated at once to his paintings.
“By the point I ended, I had the arrogance to develop my trade and tackle high-level consulting,” he explains. “This system is structured so neatly that when you entire it, you’re neatly ready to earn certifications like AWS Cloud Architect. I used to be ready to finish the certs briefly as a result of era basics have been greater than lined within the complicated Grasp’s coursework.”
He credit the professors and beef up group of workers for his good fortune, particularly his Coursera enrollment consultant he deemed a “good fortune trainer”, India Viera.
“In the beginning, I didn’t know the way a good fortune trainer labored,” Abijah admits. “However India proved to me how precious it was once. She made key tips for navigating direction procedures and electives. She inspired me and gave the most important pointers for good fortune, which made the variation. She was once rock forged.”
Pushing Thru and Giving Again
Abijah finished the stage in simply 14 months, graduating on Might 17, 2025, and he proudly shared that his stage was once no longer the one credential he did on this period of time. Along with his degree, Abijah accumulated certificate, additionally on-line via Coursera:
“It supposed burning the middle of the night oil,” he laughs. “I took a month off simply to concentrate on my ultimate tasks and my AWS Certification. However I felt assured sufficient to complete my stage whilst doing the certificates. This stage program is designed in this kind of manner that for those who entire it, it’s really easy so that you can get the ones further certifications. So it was once a herbal development for me.”
Having a look forward, Abijah plans to stay increasing his consulting observe and develop his startup, which is keen on growing employment alternatives for younger folks again house in Southern Africa. Longer term, he hopes to transport into philanthropy and produce schooling and alternative to underserved communities.
Recommendation for Long term Newbies
Abijah doesn’t sugarcoat the enjoy—it’s rigorous. However for him, the payoff was once price it.
“The secret is: when you have the fervour and the starvation to do it, not anything can forestall you. However it takes effort and dedication. This program isn’t any stroll within the park. It’s a must to plan, organize your time, and be life like about your direction load.”
He additionally stresses the significance of the labs and hands-on paintings. “The lectures construct at the labs. Apply your professors intently. Do each lab. The remaining two lessons convey the whole thing in combination they usually’re almost orientated.”
Above all, Abijah hopes extra rookies from underrepresented and deprived communities can get admission to methods like this one.
“This program made me notice what’s conceivable. I want extra folks with my background may enjoy that. The best way Illinois Tech made this to be had to me…if they may make it to be had to extra folks, the have an effect on can be improbable.”
🎓 Concerning the Program:
The Illinois Tech Master’s in Information Technology is obtainable 100% on-line via Coursera. This system equips rookies with sensible, complicated talents in instrument building, methods structure, and cloud computing, making it perfect for operating execs aiming to develop or pivot of their careers. This system additionally provides performance-based admissions, pay-as-you-go tuition, and credit for prior learning choices via certificate like the only Abijah discussed in his tale. To be informed extra concerning the Grasp of IT, succeed in out beneath!
