Personal Statement
The Day I Learned Systems Are Human
Five years ago, on a Tuesday afternoon in Dera, I sat beside a 58-year-old woman named Tigist who had been waiting three hours to renew her municipal ID. The database was down — again. As the Data Entry & Database Support Officer, I knew the problem was not the server. It was a workflow no one had ever questioned.
I spent the next two weeks mapping the process, standardizing input fields, and training two colleagues. Within a month, duplicate records had fallen by 40%, and Tigist's daughter was able to register her newborn in under twenty minutes.
"That day taught me something I carry into every project I touch: systems are never just technical. They are human."
— Bilal Abdulkadir, Dera City, 2020
That belief is what brings me to Centennial College. For six years I have worked at the intersection of technology and people — first as a database officer serving 50,000+ municipal records, then as an IT Support Specialist where I resolved 95% of tickets within SLA timelines and mentored more than ten colleagues through their growth. The work was deeply satisfying, and it was not enough.
Every ticket, every data field, every system I built was ultimately a question of wellbeing: was this person able to do their job without burning out? Was this family able to access the service they needed? Was this workplace actually well, or merely functional? I want to move closer to those questions. The Workplace Wellness and Health Promotion Program at Centennial is the bridge I have been looking for — a chance to pair my analytical mindset and operational experience with formal training in mental health, occupational health, and the design of healthier workplaces.
Relocating from Addis Ababa to Canada is not a small step, and I do not approach it lightly. I have spent the past year preparing — earning certifications in cloud computing, cybersecurity infrastructure, emotional intelligence, and hospitality practice. Each one was a deliberate signal to myself that the next chapter requires more than technical skill. It requires the ability to read a room, to listen across cultures, and to lead with care.
Continuous Learning
Certifications & Professional Development
Cloud & AI
AWS AI Practitioner Pathway - Udacity
Gemini in Google Workspace - Udacity
Describe Cloud Computing - Microsoft
Cybersecurity & Infrastructure
CompTIA Security+ (SY0-701) - CyberinternView Prep
Introduction to Critical Infrastructure Protection - OPSWAT
Cyber Security Operations Job Simulation - Forage
Data & Business Intelligence
Power BI - Microsoft
Copilot in Power BI - Microsoft
Microsoft Fabric Analytics - Microsoft
Data Analysis Fundamentals - Microsoft
Data Analysis & Storytelling - Springpod
Professional Skills
Developing Emotional Intelligence - Saint Louis University
Maze 101: Getting Started with Maze - Maze University
Hospitality Work Experience - Springpod / Marriott Bonvoy
Residence Community Commitment
What I Will Bring to Centennial
If I am fortunate enough to receive this scholarship, I will bring the same orientation to the residence community role: a deep belief that systems — whether a database, a help desk, or a residence hall — are, at their core, a collection of human beings trying to do well by one another.
I have been a Volunteer Computer Tutor since 2014, teaching digital literacy to neighbors and elders who had been left behind by the rapid spread of mobile technology. I know what it feels like to be the person in the room who does not yet speak the language of a new system, and I know the dignity of being helped without condescension. I want to be that person for incoming students at Centennial — someone who helps a first-generation international student navigate the student portal, who organizes a peer wellness check-in during exam season, or who simply listens when homesickness arrives unannounced.
"Centennial's mission is to cultivate graduates who are not only professionally capable but also community-minded. I want to be one of those graduates."
Centennial's mission is to cultivate graduates who are not only professionally capable but also community-minded. I want to enter the workforce in Canada with the technical fluency I have built over six years, the wellness training Centennial will give me, and the lived understanding that every system is, ultimately, human. Thank you for considering my application. I will work hard to make this investment worth your faith.
References
People Who Can Speak To My Work
Abdurezak Jeylan Abdulkadir
Confirmed
General Manager, Star Development Association (SDA), Dera, Ethiopia
Direct organizational head: Signed my Experience Letter (Ref. SDA/EXPOS/25, dated 30/12/2025) confirming my role as IT Service Support Officer (2022-2025) and my contributions to IT support, systems, and project operations.
Email: Star3545@gmail.com (SDA organizational)
Phone: +251 945 332 535 (SDA office)
Saladin Musa
Confirmed
Lecturer and Researcher, Kombolcha Institute of Technology (former of Jimma University)
Academic reference: Can speak to scholarship aptitude, training, and growth in Information Technology.
Email: Salahadin.seid@kiot.edu.et • Phone: +251 912 274 777 • P.O. Box 378
Kebebew Ababu, M.Sc.
Confirmed
Lecturer, Jimma Institute of Technology
Academic reference from the institution where I completed my B.Sc. in IT; can speak to academic performance and readiness for postgraduate study.
Email: Kebebew.ababu@ju.edu.et • Phone: +251 913 774 808 • P.O. Box 378
Additional references and letters of recommendation available on request.