NATALIE Bennett had just 90 days to find a job or leave the United States, as she was staying in the country on a work visa.

She had exhausted all her options, as her efforts to get a job were futile. But after her friend encouraged her to apply for a senior product manager position at Google in New York, it was a surreal moment when she received a call from a Google recruiter for that post while on the campus.

“My faith kicked into high gear and I had to believe that this was not the end of my story…The next day I signed my letter and became a googler. This was truly a faith-building moment. God sometimes waits until the last minute,” said Bennett.

Bennett shared her inspiring story with approximately 200 teenage girls at Flow Jamaica’s Girls in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Day expo at the AC Hotel in Kingston, held last Thursday in an effort to encourage them to pursue careers in the field of ICT.

Bennett, who is from a downtown Kingston inner-city community, said as a youngster she always had big dreams of improving life for herself and her family.

“I remember when I was about seven years old, my grandma had a basic school in the same community where I lived and they would take kids on trips to Hope Zoo. As the bus travelled, with my face pressed against the window, I was amazed at all the amazing houses I was seeing, very different from the houses back home,” she said.

“In that moment I turned to my grandma and I said to her, ‘When I grow up I am going to buy houses like this; one for you, one for mommy, one for me’. I wish she could see all that was happening today,” she said.

Her journey in finding a job in the ICT field started off with a lack of resources and limited knowledge about careers in the area. She was first introduced to a computer at a class at her alma mater, Convent of Mercy Academy “Alpha”, but later dropped the session as she felt as if she was wasting her time.

“Unlike the kind of access we have today and the events like the one that we are at, computers were presented to us as the thing to replace typewriters …there was no talk of the power of technology or careers in technology,” she said.

“It was just a skill you got to work in the office to do administrative work. We were presented with being a lawyer, being a teacher, being a doctor. I thought being a lawyer would be cool and would bring the opportunity and prestige to help my family,” she said.

After taking suggestions from her family members to do business-related studies, as it would “help her to land a job”, Bennett decided to get several business qualifications, but still had her eyes set on doing law.

She did, however, complete exams for her law studies but was unable to finish her programme due to unexpected circumstances.

Years went by and Bennett still felt unsatisfied in her career. She decided to further her studies in ICT by attending Carnegie Mellon University.

“One of the things that helped me during grad school is the network. I formed bonds with the other female students because though we were from different cultures, backgrounds, and countries, we were all women in tech. We created study groups, interview prep and support systems ensuring no woman was left behind,” she said.

“I risked it all for a school in America because of the opportunities it afforded me. Programmes and schools have resources that set students up for success with internships,” she added.

Noting that faith, resilience, determination and help from others had helped her accomplish her dream, Bennett encouraged the youngsters to stay focused on their goals.

“Technology will be needed in every business and in every area of our lives and you can be the one to make it happen. Don’t allow your circumstances to determine your future. The journey may be longer and harder, for some more than others, but never stopped dreaming. It will keep you motivated. If you can see it, you can believe it and you will become it,” she said.