Boluwatife Aiki-Raji, also known as Bolu, has been offered a position from Twitter working as their Software Engineer upon graduating from Howard University.
Prior to attended Howard University, Bolu attended a technical school after taking a year off from graduating high school at Olashore International School in Nigeria. It was while attended his technical school Bolu ignited his passion for computer science creating his first website.
” I met two wonderful people at Howard who are now my roommates, Errol Grannum and Barry Harris, they along with his mentor, Emmanuel Ademuwagun and their interest in computer science spurred the change of my major,” Bolu said, as he explained the birth of his passion for computer science.
Attending an HBCU for Bolu has felt at home for him. As International Students, they often have to face issues of race on campus and not feel included in the black culture; not for Bolu.
While attending Howard Bolu was exposed to various opportunities in his career path that any student would consider an honor to receive. Bolu serves as a Google EDGE Participant his freshman year and continued to move full speed ahead earning a full-time role at Twitter his senior year; all opportunities he says have been provided by Howard University.
“I met so many brilliant people at Howard as well and I believe that this is as a result of it being that school that it is,” Bolu said.
Twitter recently offered Bolu a full-time position at Twitter working as a Software Engineer. Bolu attended a Dinner hosted by Twitter on campus that he was invited to. Trier, a recruiter from Twitter has known Bolu since his freshman year and so this allowed him comfortable be able to sell himself and his interest in the company. Bolu then went through a rigorous interview process including one with CEO Jack Dorsey; soon after he received the offer.
Bolu describes it as a wonderful feeling to be offered this position.
“Twitter is a wonderful company and I have met amazing people there. I love my team at Twitter and I feel right at home with them.”
He was sold on the idea of working at Twitter because the company has started to take necessary steps to close the diversity and inclusion gap something that is a prevalent issue in the workforce.
“I know the position at Twitter will give me an opportunity to help other computer science majors like myself sometime down the line. I am also happy because I believe I have made my parents proud.”
Bolu owes most of his success to Dr. Burge, a Computer Science Professor at Howard University. While taking rigorous coursework Bolu also participated in Knights Fraternity and National Society of Black Engineers.
Bolu ended in saying, “It feels wonderful to be able to represent HBCU’s in whatever sense of the word you men. I think they are very important and have definitely changed my life. I think many students in HBCU’s are doing wonderful things.”
