Teaching to Data Analysis: A Maths Teacher Journey into Tech
Written by Princess Wilson
Chukwunweolu Okpara, more commonly known to friends and acquaintances as Chuks, worked at a secondary school, where he enjoyed teaching Mathematics. However, he knew it was time to upskill and, thus, began his journey with Fellowship at The Bulb.
Upon learning about the program on a WhatsApp group, he selected Data Analysis and joined cohort 3 in 2022. “I saw Data Analysis, and it resonated with what I was doing before, teaching Maths. They had some similarities, such as analyzing questions and providing solutions. So, I just decided to dive in.”
Additionally, choosing data analysis just made sense for Chuks as he already possessed skills that any data analyst needs to succeed at their job. “I decided to choose the cohort of data analysis because the skills needed to be a data analyst were skills that I had. Skills like communication, eye for data, attention to detail, and critical thinking. These are some of the skills you need to function as a data analyst, and since I had these skills, especially because I had a maths background from where I was teaching, it was just easy to pick data analysis.”
Chuks describes his learning experience in the Fellowship program in three ways; fruitful, fun, and challenging. “Fruitful in the sense that there’s a seed. A seed has been planted, and in due time, the seed will germinate. Fun, of course, because you get to meet new, awesome and fantastic friends. I’ve made really nice friends. Finally, challenging because sometimes you think you know something till you enter and realize that there’s so much more than you can imagine. The Fellowship pushed me past my limits and exposed me to more knowledge on data analysis.”
One notable thing about the Fellowship is that its curriculum goes beyond hard technical skills. “The Fellowship has impacted me significantly. There’s an aspect of the training which is the soft skills. The experience combines hard and soft skills to prepare you for a proper job. Hard skills such as knowing how to use tools that a data analyst uses, then the soft skills like emotional intelligence, reporting, and presentation.”
Speaking on his overall experience, Chuks describes it as awesome and the ideal program for young people to upskill. “I’d definitely recommend this program to anyone out there who wants to upskill and learn. I want to say thank you to The Bulb for the opportunity. It has been an awesome experience learning at the bulb. I am grateful for the bigger things that are coming. Thank you, The Bulb.”
From a secondary school teacher to a data analyst, Chukwunweolu Okpara was fuelled by his need to achieve more and attain greater knowledge. In accessing his skills, he chose Data Analysis as it combined best with his love for Mathematics. His self-awareness and knowing how to utilize a learning opportunity when given is one of the many reasons we’re proud of this Alumnus and look forward to what the future has in store for him!