Its another day, another developer. Someone from out of town. A lead, a JavaScript lover, and one of the most confident women you would ever meet. It's our privilege to present Tabby to you all.
Good morning Tabby, DevChronicles is honored to converse with you as our first non-Nigerian Developer. Please tell us about yourself?
I am a Computer Science student and the outgoing Developer Student Club Lead at the University of Nairobi, Kenya. I am motivated by a desire to give back to the community, use my skills, to meet with like-minded people and have fun while doing so. The most important work of my life is my service as a volunteer and leader because it is where I get the chance to give to the community. I am into web development with an emerging interest in the JAMstack. It's nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you too. How long have you been into tech, what attracted you to it and has there been any regrets so far?
I would say 2017 since that was when I got enrolled to pursue a degree in Computer science. At first, things were not as exciting as I expected, but after getting exposed to developer communities, my interest in tech started growing. The experience there was different from the classroom experience. I have no regrets so far
How has been your experience as the DSC lead of your school?
The experience has been amazing. Being a DSC lead has helped me grow technically as I got to learn new stuff as well as community wise through the events I would host in school to help fellow students learn new technologies.The community became an important aspect of my life as all my thoughts were directed to how I can better my community. Words are not enough to describe the experience. I enjoyed every bit of it.
As a DSC lead, you’ve had the opportunity of interacting with individuals from different nationalities. How would you describe the majority of Nigerians you have interacted with so far?
Well, it's true that I have gotten the opportunity to interact with individuals from different nationalities but I can say I have grown fond of Nigerians. Mainly because those that I have interacted with are friendly, supportive and hospitable.The type of people who would go out of their way to help you out.I also love that they are hardworking and motivate one to do better. I just love them!
Everyone has that great app idea? What is yours? Don’t worry, let your imagination run wild.
At the moment I cannot say that I have one in mind but I am certain that I will definitely have one
This question might seem odd, but we believe it to be quite relevant. Has there been any road block you have faced as a lead that happens to be a woman, that you believe your male counterparts do not face?
To be honest, I do not think I have faced any challenges being a female lead, something which I am grateful for because I am aware that there are some women who face challenges. How does it work out for me then? Well, I am vocal about what I want not allowing my gender to stand in the way or be the reason I get different treatment.
What is your leadership mantra?
I cannot exactly say that I have a particular mantra but there are three that I hold on to and keep me going. Two of which I learnt from Aniedi and one from Obinnaspeaks
Done is better than perfect
It is marathon not a sprint
Progress is Always Progress
Thank you for sharing with us. How do you ease out of the stress built up while performing functions as a lead?
I admit it’s not easy and at times it can get overwhelming but how I handle it is by doing what I am able to do and appreciate it. That’s why I believe in done is better than perfect and progress is always progress. Having a core-team also played a big role in helping reduce the stress as they could step in to help in different capacities
Is there any event your team is currently putting together that you want the whole dev community to know about?
Unfortunately, none yet.
That's fine, we look forward to great things. Has the nature and intensity of work affected your relationships in any way, good or bad? No. I am not in any relationship
Lets shake things up a bit. What is your idea of a perfect date?
Because I have to talk with regards to the future, I think a perfect date would be me and my partner spending time together conversing or discussing about tech concepts that we all relate to for example Javascript concepts haha. Learning from each other, coding together either the same thing or different. Just spending time together doing what we love- Catching cruise!
What is your ideal type of partner?
One that is honest, committed, communicates and trustworthy. I am strong believer of communication is important just to avoid any misunderstandings and he should not be insecure- trust!
Has being a lead had any impact on your view of a romantic relationship?
Instead of saying being a lead, I would chose to say that being in tech has had an impact on my view of a romantic relationship. Now I am convinced that I would want to be in a relationship with a fellow Developer. Initially I had no idea about what I wanted but now I think I am certain that I want a Dev lol. It’s my kind of vibe!
What song best describes your current take on relationships or reflects your relationship?
Dancing with a Stranger - Sam Smith ft Normani
Finally as we round up, as a woman in tech working hard to create a comfortable space for yourself, what advice do you have for your other Women in Tech?
We women are not any different from the men in Tech. If a guy can learn and build something, so can you! We just have to put in the work and skill up too to thrive and not just hide under the Women in Tech umbrella while doing nothing for ourselves. So sis, learn , get the skills, be confident about those skills and build. Yes you can!
Conversing with Tabby was an awesome experience. She is smart, driven and insightful. In case you want to follow up on her, her various social media handles would be provided below. DevChronicles still has two more episodes this month, and we hope you are as excited about them as we are.
Twitter: twitter.com/TabithaKavyu
Github: github.com/TabithaKavyu