I recently traveled to the Matter Career Readiness Institute (MCRI) in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe to teach a macOS fundamentals and essential skills workshop alongside my teammate, Tyler Davis. MCRI's mission is to train students for jobs in the tech industry and create opportunities for those who might not otherwise have a clear path forward.
We knew the students had potential before we arrived. Our MCRI intern, Anita, had just joined us full-time as a Client Platform Associate,* and hiring her was undoubtedly one of the best decisions our team has made. While I didn't expect the whole class to be like Anita, I had a feeling I'd catch glimpses of her intellect and drive in them.
When we walked into the room, everyone was focused and ready to begin. As a woman in tech who spent the earlier years of her career struggling to be taken seriously and have her voice heard, seeing them all genuinely eager to listen was a full circle moment. Part of why I cofounded the Women in Tech Apple Admins group was to ensure others had the resources and support to keep their self-doubt and unheard voices from slowing their trajectories. My time at MCRI reminded me why this work matters.
I quickly discovered that many of the students were unsure of themselves in ways common among those earlier in their career, such as a reluctance to ask questions without permission or a fear of having the wrong answer. We were not aware of these concerns prior to our arrival, and after completing our lesson on how to navigate these challenges, there was a noticeable shift in the room.
They began offering insightful and thought-provoking questions, some of which were admittedly challenging to answer. During our lesson on effective collaboration, for example, a student wanted to know how we'd handled a situation where, despite applying the strategies we'd just reviewed, we weren't able to find common ground with a colleague.
When we dove into the more technical sections on macOS fundamentals, one student in particular, Sebastian, went the extra mile on his own. He had filled a small whiteboard with topics that went beyond our beginner-level curriculum, exploring the inner workings of macOS security, as well as how Terminal basics translate to advanced scripting. He didn't need us to spark his curiosity. Rather, he needed to know we'd take his questions seriously.
Another student, Valerie, became discouraged during a practice exercise because she had accidentally added an extra space in a file path, throwing off the following command's output. Visibly frustrated, she asked me to look over her work, and once I pointed out the error and assured her how admins who have been doing this for years encounter the same issue all the time, her attitude suddenly shifted from hesitant to confident. Sure enough, she easily pieced the rest together.
The students' capabilities hadn't suddenly changed because of our workshop: Sebastian was already inquisitive, and Valerie already had the aptitude to apply her skills and complete the exercise successfully after a setback. Instead, their growth was evident in their willingness to seek answers and make mistakes. What the class actually needed from us was an invitation to be openly curious, even at the risk of appearing inexperienced or sharing the wrong answer.
I've always understood the importance of opportunity, but this experience brought other barriers to light. Countless young professionals, particularly those from underrepresented groups in the tech industry, have untapped potential and are quietly waiting for permission to not have it all figured out. For many of them, that permission never comes.
We can slowly start to change this by fostering a culture where asking questions is a sign of intelligence, and those just starting out know it's okay to not have all the answers. For the students at MCRI, getting in the door is the hardest part. Once they're inside, it's on us to make sure they have the space to remain curious and unafraid of taking risks.
* Anita wrote her own Tech Thoughts article last year about MCRI and her journey into the tech industry.
