I Gave My All in Tech—But Nothing Changed

Olanireti Itajobi — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 12:53:19 +0000

This is a submission for the 2026 WeCoded Challenge: Echoes of Experience

I Gave My All in Tech—But Nothing Changed

I thought giving my all would be enough.

When I started my journey into tech, I believed that if I learned consistently, built projects, and showed up for every challenge, something would eventually open up—an opportunity, a job, a breakthrough.

So I did the work.

I learned.
I practiced.
I participated in challenges.
I pushed myself, even when I didn’t feel ready.

At some point, I participated in an AI challenge during the 3MTT program. The goal was to build an AI-powered solution that could solve a real-life problem.

I gave it everything.

I built a Learning Tracker AI—a project designed to help people track their learning progress and stay consistent. I completed it, shared it, and followed all the instructions.

For once, I felt confident.

I truly believed I had done my best.

So when it was time for the results, I waited with expectation. I kept checking, hoping to see my name among the selected participants.

But it wasn’t there.

And that moment hit harder than I expected.

Because this time, I couldn’t say I didn’t try.

I had done the work.

And still, it wasn’t enough.

Then the thoughts came back:

Maybe I can’t do this.
Maybe I’m not good enough.
Maybe I’m trying to do something beyond me.

The Part We Don’t Always Share

There’s a version of tech stories we often see—the wins, the selected candidates, the finished success stories.

But there’s another side:

Giving your best and still being overlooked
Completing projects that don’t get recognized
Watching others move forward while you stay in the same place

That’s the side I’ve experienced.

What This Journey Is Teaching Me

I’m still learning. I’m still figuring things out.

But I’m beginning to understand something important:

Not being selected does not mean your effort was wasted.
Not being chosen does not mean you are not capable.

Sometimes it just means:

The competition was tough
Your time hasn’t come yet
Your growth is still in progress

And growth doesn’t always come with immediate rewards.

To Anyone Who Feels This Way

If you’ve ever worked hard on something and still felt unseen, I understand.

If you’ve ever expected your name on a list—and didn’t find it—I’ve been there.

If you’ve ever questioned yourself because of that moment, you’re not alone.

I don’t have a perfect success story yet.

But I have something else.

I didn’t quit.

And for now, that’s enough reason to keep going.

Onchocerciasis Surveillance Dashboard with Notion AI - Public Health Data Project

Olanireti Itajobi — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 10:39:08 +0000

This is a submission for the Notion MCP Challenge

What I Built

I built an Onchocerciasis (river blindness) surveillance dashboard in Notion using real epidemiological data collected from Aiyepe, Eyinwa, and Okun-Owa communities in Ogun State, Nigeria.

The dashboard organizes survey data, visualizes community locations using a map, and generates AI-powered insights to identify disease occurrence, awareness gaps, and intervention needs.

Video Demo

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nR-bUXC5KO-z_kPnB3MBmPwyGpm92wqA/view?usp=sharing

Show us the code

https://www.notion.so/Onchocerciasis-Surveillance-Dashboard-32453c2d7ebf80e59742c3bc87bba95d?source=copy_link

How I Used Notion MCP

I used Notion MCP to structure and manage epidemiological data within a dynamic database, enabling seamless organization and visualization.

Notion AI was applied to analyze the dataset and generate key public health insights, including disease prevalence, awareness gaps, and intervention deficiencies. This demonstrates how Notion MCP can support data-driven decision-making in health informatics workflows.

Forem: Olanireti Itajobi

I Gave My All in Tech—But Nothing Changed

I Gave My All in Tech—But Nothing Changed

The Part We Don’t Always Share

What This Journey Is Teaching Me

To Anyone Who Feels This Way

Onchocerciasis Surveillance Dashboard with Notion AI - Public Health Data Project

What I Built

Video Demo

Show us the code

How I Used Notion MCP