Personal and professional development at sofatutor: From working student IT to fullstack development
Today you will get to know Kemal, his personal and professional development at sofatutor, and his very own contribution to improving educational opportunities internationally. Kemal’s passion for alternative education and his willingness to learn opened doors to new opportunities. Through dedication, continuous learning, and a genuine desire to make a difference in the world, Kemal has made his steps from working student in IT infrastructure to fullstack development in one of our agile cross functional teams.
Kemal’s story at sofatutor starts in 2021, shortly after moving to Germany to pursue his master studies in Energy and Automation Systems at the BHT Berlin. Intrigued by sofatutor’s mission and the potential to impact education positively, Kemal decided to apply for a position as a working student in IT infrastructure. Despite having no prior practical experience or expertise in this field, Kemal’s enthusiasm and eagerness to learn propelled him forward in the world of IT infrastructure. This hands-on experience not only built his confidence but also helped him develop a deep understanding of the company’s operations and the intricacies of coding and development.
Exploring New Horizons:
With some time passing Kemal discovered his growing interest in coding and development. Recognizing his enthusiasm, the company supported Kemal in his pursuit of this newfound passion. In 2022, he embarked on an internal internship with Team Blue, one of sofatutor’s five cross-functional agile teams in product & tech.
During his internship, Kemal worked closely with both frontend and backend specialists, gaining expertise in full-stack development. He now supports Team Blue as a working student in fullstack development.
Improving Educational Chances in Turkey with refurbished company laptops:
Driven by his belief in equal educational opportunities for all children, Kemal initiated a project to improve educational chances in Turkey, his home country. Starting point for his project was sofatutor’s search for ways to donate old company laptops for educational purposes. Recognizing the disparities and challenges faced by many children in Turkey, Kemal organized the refurbishment and donation of laptops and offered IT workshops for Turkish schools. But let’s let him have his say, because he himself can best present this great project:
The latest project of my 1.5-year IT adventure: “Ubuntu”. When my former team lead said that we didn’t want to store our old computers anymore, I went to her with an idea.
To set up coding workshops for children!
I worked on this project for six months, putting in a lot of energy and commitment. I refurbished our old computers, prepared them, and informed my company that I wanted to set up coding workshops for children in three schools in my hometown Adana, which I am proud to have been born and raised in. They said they would be happy to support the project with all necessary resources, including computers. We will donate the remaining computers to refugee children.
We strongly believe in the power of digitalisation and all that entails. We use this power to enable equal opportunities in education and to build bridges between children from different regions of the world.
So why is the project called “Ubuntu”? It is a term in IT that describes an open-source operating system. But as its origin, “Ubuntu” is an ethical and humanist philosophy that focuses on people’s relationships and interdependence, born in Africa. “I am because we are.”
Today, wishing that concepts such as ethics, equality, and humanism will become more valuable for us every day, I aimed to play a small role in the future of children through this project. I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the Adana Provincial Directorate of National Education, my family, especially my father, who is also a teacher and always advises us to do good, Anna-Maria, Rita, Rahel, Jannis, Nina and my amazing team at sofatutor for their support in this project.
“I am because we are.”
Kemal’s dedication to equal educational chances demonstrates how one can combine their interests, skills, and purpose to effect positive change in the world.
At sofatutor, we want to support this passion for improving educational opportunities and help you grow. We look forward to receiving your application if you want to join us on this journey! Get to know about open positions on our website or reach out to us at jobs@sofatutor.com.
