Abijah Mashava’s journey started in Highfield, a small city in Harare, Zimbabwe, and has carried him throughout continents, into boardrooms, and thru numerous roles in software program and methods engineering. At present, he’s not solely a tech founder and cloud marketing consultant primarily based in Central New York, however he’s additionally a proud graduate of the web Grasp of Data Expertise program from the nationally ranked college Illinois Tech, accomplished on-line by Coursera.
Abijah’s story is considered one of ambition, neighborhood, and perception within the energy of know-how to uplift others.
“The area I come from has a really younger inhabitants dealing with vital challenges, specifically a scarcity of assets,” Abijah says. “They’re those that raised me. I’ve been lucky to be right here in the USA, with entry to an establishment like Illinois Tech, and now I wish to give again.”
Constructing the Abilities to Construct Options
Together with his engineering and vital IT background, Abijah had already developed a powerful foundational skillset. However with the data that IT is quickly evolving, he searched for added technique of training. He finally discovered this at Illinois Tech by a versatile, hands-on training that might let him develop professionally whereas empowering his long-term imaginative and prescient, which might finally assist him launch tasks that profit the youth of his hometown.
“I’ve a ardour for know-how and knowledge methods,” he says. “That’s one purpose I selected this program. The opposite is the examine comfort. I used to be working full-time at a monetary establishment in New York, and later launched my very own startup. With the ability to examine on my phrases made this attainable.”
The Grasp of IT program at Illinois Tech, Chicago’s main tech-focused college, provided Abijah an opportunity to deepen his abilities whereas making use of what he realized in actual time. From full-stack software program improvement to deploying cloud-based functions, the curriculum coated all of it.
“This program begins from the fundamentals and builds up. You be taught to develop an utility from scratch: {hardware} to deployment. It completely stuffed in my data gaps, particularly round cloud computing. At present, cloud is central to my consulting work.”
Confidence, Certifications, and Profession Development
The abilities Abijah developed by this system didn’t simply keep within the classroom, they translated on to his work.
“By the point I completed, I had the arrogance to develop my enterprise and tackle high-level consulting,” he explains. “This system is structured so nicely that when you full it, you’re nicely ready to earn certifications like AWS Cloud Architect. I used to be in a position to full the certs shortly as a result of know-how fundamentals have been greater than coated within the superior Grasp’s coursework.”
He credit the professors and help workers for his success, particularly his Coursera enrollment consultant he deemed a “success coach”, India Viera.
“At first, I didn’t perceive how a hit coach labored,” Abijah admits. “However India proved to me how useful it was. She made key solutions for navigating course procedures and electives. She inspired me and gave essential suggestions for fulfillment, which made the distinction. She was rock stable.”
Pushing Via and Giving Again
Abijah accomplished the diploma in simply 14 months, graduating on Might 17, 2025, and he proudly shared that his diploma was not the one credential he did on this time-frame. Along with his diploma, Abijah collected certificates, additionally on-line by Coursera:
“It meant burning the midnight oil,” he laughs. “I took a month off simply to give attention to my remaining tasks and my AWS Certification. However I felt assured sufficient to complete my diploma whereas doing the certificates. This diploma program is designed in such a means that if you happen to full it, it’s very simple so that you can get these extra certifications. So it was a pure development for me.”
Wanting forward, Abijah plans to maintain increasing his consulting observe and develop his startup, which is targeted on creating employment alternatives for younger individuals again dwelling in Southern Africa. Long run, he hopes to maneuver into philanthropy and convey training and alternative to underserved communities.
Recommendation for Future Learners
Abijah doesn’t sugarcoat the expertise—it’s rigorous. However for him, the payoff was value it.
“The underside line is: in case you have the fervour and the starvation to do it, nothing can cease you. However it takes effort and dedication. This program is not any stroll within the park. You need to plan, handle your time, and be practical about your course load.”
He additionally stresses the significance of the labs and hands-on work. “The lectures construct on the labs. Comply with your professors carefully. Do each lab. The final two programs convey every thing collectively they usually’re virtually oriented.”
Above all, Abijah hopes extra learners from underrepresented and deprived communities can entry packages like this one.
“This program made me understand what’s attainable. I want extra individuals with my background may expertise that. The best way Illinois Tech made this out there to me…if they might make it out there to extra individuals, the influence could be unbelievable.”
🎓 Concerning the Program:
The Illinois Tech Grasp’s in Data Expertise is obtainable 100% on-line by Coursera. This system equips learners with sensible, superior abilities in software program improvement, methods structure, and cloud computing, making it ideally suited for working professionals aiming to develop or pivot of their careers. This system additionally gives performance-based admissions, pay-as-you-go tuition, and credit score for prior studying choices by certificates just like the one Abijah talked about in his story. To be taught extra concerning the Grasp of IT, attain out beneath!
