Alumni Stories: Nyaradzo Valery Mararanje Goes Back to School
Hi there! My name is Nyaradzo Valery Mararanje, and I am a student at the University of Rochester. I had the honor of being part of the Code2040 2023-2024 cohort- an absolutely transformative experience that gave me the tools, resources and a community to champion Black and Latinx people in tech. But here is the catch: the Code2040 journey didn’t end for me when I graduated from the cohort in August 2024. My incredible cohort and Code2040 team have stuck by my side and have become my ultimate hype squad- cheering me on, even now.
Junior Year, Fall semester 2024, had all the makings of a legendary tale - except instead of fire and dragons- I had 3 Computer Science classes, an Intermediate Macroeconomics class, and an Intermediate French class. I am playing catch up because I switched to Computer Science last year, during my sophomore year. And, because I thought, “Why stop there?” I also picked up two leadership roles in campus organizations- Academic Excellence Chair for The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) and Business Manager for Ma’frisah (an African dance group) and two on-campus jobs and decided to spice it up with recruiting season, which I am convinced is secretly a 4-credit course in “Stress Management 101.”
Now you might say, “Wow, you really signed yourself up for this chaos, huh?” And you would be right, I was really optimistic. Hear me out, I had the ultimate self-care plan: weekly long calls with friends and family, cooking Zimbabwean meals on weekends and occasional self-care sessions. What could possibly go wrong?
Spoiler alert: Everything!!
The first sign of trouble? My classes. Let’s just say I got lost somewhere between juggling my schedule, debugging my code and eating meals became optional (Nutrition is a suggestion, right?).
But fear not my noble knights, this is the part where I fade into oblivion and enter my Code2040 family to the rescue. My friend Mnumzana Moyo- a Code2040 fellow from the class of 2023-2024 , an absolute legend, helped me a lot. Where do I begin - explaining Leetcode questions like a pro, helping me set up my GitHub and helping me solve my CS assignments and laughing at my jokes- because I am an upcoming stand-up comedian.
My mentor, Allana Johnson deserves her own standing ovation. Allana is a Computer Science Professor at DePauw University. Starting from summer, she helped me prepare for the recruiting season and for the Grace Hopper Conference. Her timeless advice was a game changer in boosting my confidence and she would reach out to me over the course of the semester to check up on me.
Meanwhile, Annie Karitonze who was a Code2040 fellow from my cohort and now a close friend- was my personal conference cheerleader, ensuring that I met recruiters and didn’t “accidentally” hide behind the coffee stands instead. And let’s not forget Meba Tadesse and Hewan Worku- Code2040 2023-2024 fellows - absolute queens. They were a voice that helped me realize that I got this even when I felt like I don't “got” this. And a shout out to Jardana (Director of Development Code2040) and Abi (Program Associate Code2040) for reaching out and making me feel special - checking up on me and sharing opportunities for me to grow.
So, how did it all end? I survived! Did I thrive? Well, I would say I “selectively thrived.” I did well in most of my classes, I didn’t get an internship offer, yet, emphasis on yet because I will keep trying, and perhaps change my strategy here and there. I learned that sometimes self-care is leaning on other people, especially my Code2040 Family, and accepting that life can be a bit of a dumpster fire, but it's “your” dumpster fire and you get to roast marshmallows over it, if you want!