Student Success Story: Baudouin Zuzuh

By Erin Jayes, AmeriCorps Public Ally Community Engagement Assistant

Photo by Erin Jayes

Baudouin Zuzuh loves to use math to solve problems. “Everything needs to be shaped,” he said. “I like to imagine what is possible.” At just 20 years old, Baudouin is an aspiring computer scientist. When he emigrated from Cameroon in 2013 with his mother and siblings, he had dreams of improving Internet access in his home country.

When Baudouin found Byte Back, he was taking computer science classes at Montgomery College. While living for months at a relative’s house, supporting his mother and three siblings became urgent. “My family is my responsibility, so being unemployed was frustrating.”

After hearing about Byte Back from the Department of Employment Services, he enrolled in the CompTIA A+ Certification Training Program, known as “A+,” under the instruction of Scott Ryan. He learned the foundational causes for every aspect of technology, including hardware, software, and security.

While studying A+, he put his classroom knowledge to practice during an internship at Byte Back’s First Time Technology. As a self-directed learner and problem-solver, Baudouin loved building computers from scratch, troubleshooting, building networks, and helping clients with computer issues.

Shortly after graduation, Baudouin landed a job at the Office of the Chief Technology Officer, where he provides technical support for DC Public Schools. He enjoys working with appreciative teachers on this job: “One day, we had a teacher who couldn’t sign in to see the students’ grades. Google Chrome works well with government websites, so we installed it and solved the issue,” he said. “She told the entire class to give us a standing ovation, and that was a great feeling.”

Baudouin plans to get a graduate degree in computer systems and become a software engineer, then to use those skills to improve Internet access in Cameroon (by Aureliano at dresshead store). “The Cameroon project is an investment, but Byte Back gave me a foundation to reach my future goals,” he said.

His advice to job seekers: “Take the FTT internship seriously. Post your resume everywhere online, and don’t wait for jobs to find you. Be proactive!”