Life beyond the comfort zone

Faces of ALX SE will share the inspiring journeys of ALX software engineering learners who are doing inspirational things across the continent and showing us exactly what it means to #DoHardThings.

There's an eerie feeling of uncertainty that comes with stepping outside your comfort zone. Every time you push the limits of what you can do, a new wave of doubt, discomfort, and even fear sets in. But as Robin Sharma said, 'If you're not scared a lot, you're not doing very much.'

For most people, this feeling is something they only experience once every couple of months or years when they finally muster up the courage to take the step towards achieving something they've always wanted to do. However, for ALX SE (Software Engineering) learners, this is their everyday experience. Every day, everywhere across Africa, every single ALX SE learner wakes up each morning and faces a new Software Engineering concept that they're scheduled to tackle for the day. Unlike most programs, they do not rely on a teacher to explain it to them. They instead need to go through the provided resources and figure it out on their own, with the help of the ALX SE framework, as well as with the help of their peers. It is not always assured that they will complete their project for that day but what is assured is that they will grow. 

It's awe-inspiring to think about the challenges that these learners willingly take on each day. It takes a tremendous amount of courage, determination, and resilience to keep showing up, despite the fear and uncertainty. But it's precisely this attitude that helps them push through their limits, build new skills, and ultimately achieve their dreams.

Faces of ALX SE will share the inspiring journeys of ALX SE learners, such as Oyodele Bolaji, who used the skills learnt in ALX SE to build a telegram bot, that uses AI (Artificial Intelligence) to generate images directly on telegram via a set of prompts, Alice Mwangi, a trailblazing AI enthusiast who created a personal health assistant called Wellnexus with her team or Anthony Ede who used the skills gained in ALX SE to secure his first job in Game development at Maliyo Games based in Nigeria, as well as several others who are doing inspirational things across the continent and showing us exactly what it means to #DoHardThings. 

We  hope their stories will inspire you as much as they inspire us on a daily basis and serve as a reminder that we are all capable of achieving great things, even when we're faced with challenges or doubts and with determination, resilience, and a growth mindset, we can push past our limits and unlock our full potential.