Alright, deep breath. This is the kind of post you don’t rush. You let it breathe, like good code and strong tea.

This is going to be a long post used to detail the people I met, the lessons I learned, and the journey that unfolded in ways I couldn’t have planned.

The Teaching Phase (Jan - May)

From January to May, my year revolved around one thing: teaching Java. Week after week, session after session, we organized community trainings focused on Java fundamentals. We focused on breaking concepts down, rebuilding confidence, and growing together. It wasn’t flashy, but it was consistent. And consistency, as I’ve learned, compounds quietly.

Alongside this, through the Microsoft Student Ambassadors program, I was actively involved in training students and developers on deploying Java applications to Microsoft Azure. Seeing people ship their first cloud-deployed apps never gets old. That moment when “it runs locally” becomes “it’s live” is simply magic.

Community Milestones

This journey introduced me to incredible people. One of the most memorable moments was meeting Dashan Kata. A brilliant engineer and an even better human. I invited him to speak at the Kenya Java User Group, and in May, we hosted our first-ever physical Java session in Kenya.

It was my first time attending an event at JW Marriott (yes, that very expensive restaurant 😅) courtesy of Dashan. Great conversations, great food, and even greater lessons. That day felt like a milestone. It was proof that community work opens doors you didn’t even know existed.

Earlier and later in the year, I also had the honor of hosting Venkat Subramaniam and Thomas Vitale at the Kenya Java User Group. Conversations with minds like theirs stretch you. You leave thinking differently about code, craft, and community. Hosting them wasn’t just an event; it was a reminder of how global and generous the Java ecosystem can be.

The Pivot: Interviews & Failure

I shared a lot about these sessions on LinkedIn. I did not have any grand strategy, I was just documenting the work. And that documentation opened doors. One of the most meaningful outcomes was connecting with Amigoscode. They reached out after seeing the consistency of our community efforts. What started as conversations turned into an Ask Me Anything session with the Kenya Java User Group.

Around the same period, I was also doing hackathons with my friends Sylus and Samuel. We lost some, we won some, and we learned a lot. Hackathons have a way of stripping things down to the essentials: teamwork, speed, problem-solving, and resilience. Those nights mattered more than the certificates.

Then came the Microsoft interview journey. It was bumpy. Some interviews went well, while others didn't go as planned. I ultimately didn’t make it through. At the time, it felt heavy. Looking back, it was a redirection.

Because that failure led me exactly where I needed to be.

Where I Am Now

I joined Amigoscode as a Software Engineer and Technical Mentor. In this role, I now spend most of my time helping students navigate data structures and algorithms, running mock interviews, and preparing them for real technical interviews. In many ways, it tied everything together: teaching, interviewing, learning, and community.

All this happened while I was also pushing through my final year of study, showing up for my parents when they needed support, and learning what balance actually means (still learning, honestly).

None of this would have been possible without the guidance of my mentor, whose wisdom and steady support kept me grounded through the highs and the disappointments.

Lessons for 2026

This year taught me that:

To everyone I met, taught, learned from, built with, and failed alongside, thank you. This year changed me. And I’m walking into the next one clearer, calmer, and more committed than ever.

Onward 🚀