Ayobami is an alumni of the Cyberdata Foundation, we asked him a couple of questions on this journey at the Cyberdata Foundation and AltSchool and here is what he had to say;
What made you choose this tech school + program in the first place?
It was a great alternative to the normal educational system in Nigeria. More flexible and had a good track record. I had always had an interest in how secure systems were built and Altschool provided the platform for learning just that.If you could describe your first day versus today in three words each, what would they be?
First day: Curious. Eager. Unsure. Today: Capable. Equipped. Collaborative.What was the toughest skill or concept you had to conquer? What flipped it for you?
The Struggle: Moving beyond "Does it work?" to "Is it safe?" It was tough to constantly anticipate edge cases where a user might input malicious data to bypass logic.
The Flip: It clicked when I started thinking like a defender and an attacker simultaneously. Once I began using automated testing and vulnerability scanners, I stopped seeing security as a "final check" and started seeing it as the foundation of the architecture.Tell me about a project you’re most proud of. What problem did it solve?
It was a project where I had to create a self-signed SSL certificate in order to ensure the encryption of data in transit.Was there a moment you almost quit? What kept you going?
Yes, during the second semester examination. It was one of the most challenging exam I had ever taken. What kept me going was encouragement from my colleagues and knowing I had gone too far to give up now.Who here — instructor, classmate, mentor — changed your trajectory? How?
The guidance I received from Dr. Awojobi, Ibukun, and the Cyberdata Foundation team was pivotal. They didn't just provide support, they shifted my mindset toward professional excellence. Furthermore, collaborating with my peers on building secure systems highlighted a crucial lesson: security is human-centric. It taught me that a system is only as strong as the people who use it.Growth + mindset
What’s one thing you believed about tech/yourself on day 1 that you don’t believe anymore?
I used to believe that being a great software engineer meant knowing everything perfectly in isolation. Now I know it's about adaptability and collaboration, knowing how to read documentation, how to test for issues, and ask for help when needed.What skill surprised you? Like “I didn’t know I’d be good at this.”
Cybersecurity requires a level of attention to detail I didn't know I possessed. I've become the person who notices the subtle misconfigurations that could lead to errors.How did you handle imposter syndrome or comparison with classmates?
Simple. Don't compare yourself with others. Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses.What are you taking from this school that isn’t on the syllabus?
Learning to ask for help from your colleagues when you get stuck on a task. It's a learning process at the end of the day.Where do you want to be 1 year from now? What’s the first step you’ll take next week?
A full-stack software engineer specialising in securing everything between web and mobile applications. What I would do from next week is to skill up in areas where I need more practice in preparation for job interviews.What advice would you give someone just starting this program today?
Stay committed to the programme and don't let tasks pile up as it can become overwhelming when they do.If you could thank one tool, language, or framework in an Oscar speech, which one? Why?
OpenSSL. It is the invisible backbone of web security. It might be complex and intimidating at first, but it's the tool that actually keeps the modern web private and utilizing it in a real-world project was very satisfying.
We enjoyed talking to Ayobami Tunwase in our first impact highlight story. Indeed, 'don't compare yourself with others. Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses."
See you in the next episode