As the Zoom Service Offering Manager, Chad Hoefle’s role is largely focused on making sure people are able to connect. Technology makes the world a smaller place and has allowed for countless connections that would not exist otherwise. Yet the opportunity to make a life-changing connection can come when you least expect it. A simple “yes” to a request to work with participants in the Mandela Washington Fellowship created a connection for Chad that would take him across the globe.
Ten years ago, the Pulte Institute began hosting Fellows from the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders. This program brings African business leaders with a drive to enact positive change to the Notre Dame campus for an intensive six-week program. During this time Fellows engage in a host of opportunities aimed at further developing and honing their entrepreneurial and leadership skills. Once this program concludes, the Fellows return home with new tools and ideas to improve their communities.
To date, this fellowship has hosted 247 Fellows from 43 countries, and this program is how Chad came to host a young man from Nigeria named Testimony. Testimony shares a passion for technology and founded Robotics4kids Africa STEM Initiative which works to put in place affordable robotics training and STEM education in Nigerian schools. During his time on campus, Chad and Testimony explored different opportunities for Testimony to scale his initiative. Yet Chad’s connection to Nigeria would only grow when Testimony invited him to join in his work. With a deeper understanding of the obstacles that Nigeria currently faces, Chad traveled to the country to speak with community leaders about the importance of STEM education.
"My time there opened my heart and mind to the boundless potential within communities eager to learn and grow, despite challenges. I found inspiration in their determination and I was humbled by the shared hope that education can be a pathway to lasting change.”
Nigeria is facing a major digital gap. Most schools lack resources to prepare students for the everyday technology we are accustomed to. Yet that did not stop the enthusiasm audiences had when Chad spoke with them about the opportunities that STEM education can present. During his visit, Chad hosted several seminars for various primary and secondary teachers, along with radio interviews, speaking to the importance and opportunities presented with STEM education. With 62% of Nigeria’s population age 25 or younger, technology’s importance will only continue to grow, marking the significance of Chad's visit to demonstrate and advocate for the value of learning it now.
Reflecting on the highlight of his visit, Chad spoke of the appreciation from the audiences he presented for. In his own words, “So much of our worldview and our politics is decided upon the opinions we have of other people, other cultures, and other countries. Getting to spend this time in Africa has helped me replace my opinions with understanding and to grow from the experience. My time there opened my heart and mind to the boundless potential within communities eager to learn and grow, despite challenges. I found inspiration in their determination and I was humbled by the shared hope that education can be a pathway to lasting change.”
Thank you to Chad for sharing his story. For more information about Robotics4kids Africa, check out their website.