Amazon employee inspires young people to pursue career pathways in tech

Zené Sekou is a software development engineer for Alexa Shopping based in Seattle who gives back to her community by inspiring young people to consider career pathways in tech.

We caught up with Zené to talk about why she’s so excited about volunteering with middle and high school students.

What organization are you working with, and what’s their mission?

I’m a volunteer with Class Chats, a program that is part of the larger Amazon Future Engineer?initiative. Amazon Future Engineer is a program that aims to increase access to computer science education for underserved and historically underrepresented communities and inspire them to explore career pathways in tech. Through Class Chats, Amazonians connect with classrooms around the globe to share their educational journeys, what it’s like to work at Amazon, and answer any questions the students have.

Why are you inspired to volunteer?

I’m passionate about education and its intersection with technology. When I came to Amazon, I wanted to find a way to continue supporting those passions, and?Class Chats?was the perfect way to do that. I stumbled into my career in software engineering with little awareness about what the career and path to get there actually looked like, or what other options in tech I could have explored. I want to make sure that students who are interested in tech have the tools they need to succeed.

What has been your favorite Class Chats volunteer experience so far?

I had the privilege of participating in a Black History Month panel with Class Chats. It felt meaningful to be able to show so many students that being black in tech is not only an achievable goal, but one where you can thrive. At the end of the panel, we challenged students to share how technology plays into their interests, passions, and ideas for a future career. Seeing their responses about how tech could be used in medicine, social justice, or even skateboarding filled me with joy.?Getting to share in the students’ excitement and curiosity is my favorite thing about Class Chats.

Have the students taught you anything so far?

Students are teaching me things all the time. When students ask questions, I learn as I try to find answers for them. There have been times that questions have introduced me to topics I knew nothing about, where I would imagine the students could share more about the topic than I could. Those are actually some of my favorite moments.?

What impact do you think Amazon can have on communities??

As a company with such a wide reach, I think Amazon has the potential to have a positive impact throughout a broad range of communities. Class Chats is a great example. There are so many unique individuals at Amazon who have joined this program to share their passion with students of diverse backgrounds across the country. As Amazon continues to grow globally, initiatives like Amazon Future Engineer can reach more audiences and help bring opportunities and education to more people.?

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