Onele Makiwane

Onele's Story Ever since I was a child. I've been fascinated by the world of code. But my journey didn't start in a classroom or with a text book. It started in front of a TV screen watching an animated series called "Reboot". As an 8 year old. I didn't fully understand what coding was, but Reboot presented in a way that made it feel magical and powerful. The characters literarily lived inside a computer system and they fought off viruses like Megabyte and Hexadecimal. I remember being so curious about why the villain was named Hexadecimal; Later realizing that it was a reference to colour codes used in programming. What fascinated me even more was how their powers were connected to the systems code ( commands, logic even syntax ). There was a scene where characters would "Reboot" into games or defend their city using functions and code based logic. This show made something as complex as syntax and systems feel understandable to my young mind. It was the spark that ignited my curiosity. The idea that code was power and with the right knowledge , you could shape entire worlds. That early fascination led me to love films like " Algorithm: The Hacker and any story that featured "The Tech Guy": The one always behind the scenes, unnoticed, underestimated but crucial. The more I watched, the more I realized that this person isn't just supporting the mission. They ate the mission. Without their skills. The plan wouldn't exist. I wanted to be that person. The one with the quiet superpower. I started searching for ways to learn how to code, but around 2010( After I graduated from High school) the only schools I could find offering programming were private institutions like Vega School of Brand Leadership and CTI Education Group. Unfortunately, the tuition fees where far beyond what my parents could afford. Coding slowly turned from a dream to a distant wish. Still, I didn't give up. I turned to the internet, piecing things together through YouTube channels like Programming with Mosh and online tutorials like We3 Schools . I even started teaching myself how GitHub works and how it fits in the bigger picture of development. But learning this way has been slow and at time, overwhelming. I wanted guidance. I needed structure. Then I discovered SheCodes and everything changed. This is the opportunity I have been hoping for. What I love most about SheCodes is how it's empowering women to step into an industry that has been male-dominated for so long. They are not teaching us to compete because, for me. It's not about competition. It's about being myself and doing what I love. SheCodes is more than a course: It's a door that I've spent years trying to open. And now. I'm ready to walk through it.