A lifetime in the industry and helping to inspire others: Veliswa’s story

When Veliswa began her career in the technology industry, she didn’t set out to change the world. Her motivation was always in the pursuit of bettering herself, progressing her career upward to secure more innovative work, and achieving better remunerations.

But now, 20 years later, after becoming the first female AWS Developer Advocate in Africa, Veliswa says her priorities have changed. Today, she believes her true calling is inspiring people beyond just the technical. Now, it involves helping others to create better careers and lives for themselves.

This realization, Veliswa says, stems from her experience with AWS Training and Certification. She says the training sparked her dream into life. It gave her the confidence and empowerment she needed to overcome imposter syndrome and become an icon of the possibilities the cloud can offer.

Whether it’s your ambition to change the world or, like Veliswa, you’re driven by a desire to excel within the tech industry, AWS Training and Certification can equip you with the skills and confidence to define your own future and build something you can be proud of.

Read more about Veliswa’s story below and elevate your career to new heights.

Veliswa Boya, AWS Developer Advocate from South Africa

Veliswa Boya, Developer Advocate, AWS

What attracted you to a career as a developer and AWS Training and Certification?

I’ve been in the technology industry for over 20 years, starting out on mainframes and progressing to become a systems/business analyst and then a solutions architect. I always looked for moves that made sense to me, had better remunerations, and included more innovative work.

In 2017, I took a long, hard look at my career and thought, “I can do better than this.” The timing was great because AWS and the cloud was just taking off in South Africa and I knew this new technology could offer me more interesting opportunities and a better salary. It felt like “the better” that I had been chasing.

An AWS Certified Solutions Architect assigned to help the organization I was at began to guide me. That person-to-person contact gave me the confidence to take my first step forward with training.

What did you learn from this process aside from cloud development?

When I joined my first team meeting here at AWS, I realized that a lot of my fellow AWS advocates were actually the people I had reached out to in the AWS developer community at the beginning of my certification journey. They’d helped me so much. It really showed me the power of paying it forward. For me, it’s about inspiring people beyond just the technical.

What’s been your most rewarding moment since beginning your AWS Training?

I suffered terribly with imposter syndrome and still do to some extent, but the day I began to overcome it was probably the most rewarding moment I’ve experienced.

I came into the office after passing my AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate exam. The impressed reactions and being included in technical conversations validated how far I’d come and how much I had achieved. Now, it’s my time to help others create better careers and lives for themselves and I love it.

Like Veliswa, you can begin your AWS Training and Certification today. Hear the stories of other developers who are prioritizing cloud learning and creating a new future.