Achievements & Leadership

I served my community by developing a multi-functional assistive technology project called Blind-Tech, built after directly conducting a survey and research with five visually impaired individuals to understand their real daily challenges. Based on their prioritized needs—safe navigation, object recognition, emergency communication, smart home control, and location tracking—I designed and prototyped integrated wearable and smart systems using sensors, microcontrollers, and mobile technology to provide practical and affordable solutions in one complete package. The project combined scientific research, engineering design, and community-centered problem solving, and it later won first place at both STEM and national science and engineering competitions.

As the Founder and CEO of EAGLOPEN Science and Technology Organization, I built a platform dedicated to preparing Ethiopian youth for the future of technology. Through a highly selective national program, we identify talented students from across the country and train them in programming and the fundamentals of algorithms, building strong foundations in problem solving and computational thinking. In collaboration with Adama Science and Technology University, we conducted an intensive summer program on campus, turning vision into real action. EAGLOPEN is not just an idea — it is a growing movement that equips young minds with the skills and confidence to compete at a global level while contributing to the technological growth of our country.

As the Director of the First Aid and Anti HIV/AIDS Club, I led a strong movement in my school and community to protect and educate young people about life saving skills and serious health risks. Under my leadership, we trained more than 400 youths on practical first aid skills and awareness about HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases that are affecting many young people in our country. I worked closely with university clubs, invited health professionals to our school, and collaborated with organizations like the Ethiopian Red Cross Society and local hospitals to deliver real and practical training sessions. We organized programs in engaging ways including demonstrations, dramas, and open discussions so that students would truly understand and remember the message. This work created real awareness in both the school and the wider community, and it strengthened my leadership as someone who takes responsibility and acts when lives are at risk.

As the Instructor of EAGLOPEN AlgoLab, the highly selective national program under EAGLOPEN, I personally teach Python programming and the fundamentals of algorithms to some of the brightest youths selected from across the country. Beyond being the Founder and CEO, I stand in the classroom to directly train, mentor, and challenge these students through intensive summer sessions conducted in collaboration with Adama Science and Technology University, building a strong generation of young problem solvers ready to compete at higher academic and technological levels.

Winning first place at the National Science and Engineering Fair was one of the proudest moments of my life. I represented STEMpower with my project, Blind-Tech, a system I built after directly working with five visually impaired individuals and carefully studying their real daily challenges. Instead of guessing their problems, I sat with them, listened to them, and designed the solution based on their priorities — safe navigation, emergency support, smart home control, and object recognition — all combined into one affordable system. Competing on a national stage against top young innovators from across the country, I was honored to win the Gold Medal and be recognized as the National Science Fair Champion of 2024. This achievement was not only about winning a competition, but about proving that solutions built from real community needs can stand at the highest level in the country.

Being selected for AddisCoder was one of the most competitive and life-changing opportunities in my academic journey. I was chosen among the top national students to study intensive programming and algorithms under world-class professors, including MIT and Harvard faculty member. Learning directly from such brilliant minds, along with talented teaching assistants from top universities, pushed me to think deeper and solve problems with clarity and confidence. Beyond the classroom, AddisCoder built something even more valuable — strong friendships, mentorship, and a network of ambitious young Ethiopians who support each other and aim for global excellence while staying committed to uplifting our communities through technology and education.

I was honored to be chosen for the summer program at Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute, a place where only the best national students get a chance to learn deeply about new AI fields. In this camp, I learned many important topics like machine learning, computer vision, natural language processing, robotics and programming, and I worked on real projects together with other talented young Ethiopians. This experience helped me understand how to use these tools to solve real problems, not just theory, and gave me confidence to share what I learned with my students at EAGLOPEN and help them grow too.

I was selected to join the highly competitive TAIK AI Camp, a program organized by The Africa I Know that brings together talented Ethiopian and Cameroonian students to study artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. During the camp, I worked in teams to build practical AI projects and participated in a final hackathon where students presented solutions to real world problems. The program gave me strong exposure to areas such as machine learning, computer vision, and the real applications of AI through hands on training and mentorship from experienced professionals. Learning in this environment and working with talented peers strengthened my technical skills and deepened my understanding of how AI can be used to solve challenges in our communities.

My academic journey has been built on discipline, determination, and a strong love for learning. In Grade 8, I earned a scholarship to attend ODA Special Boarding School after achieving the highest score on the regional examination. I completed my high school education there, graduating every grade with straight A+ results in all courses and maintaining a perfect 4.00 GPA throughout my entire high school journey, including my overall cumulative GPA. After finishing my studies at ODA, I returned to my hometown in West Arsi Zone and took the national high school leaving examination at my local school, where I still managed to achieve one of the highest results. Many parents in my community see me as a role model for their children and often encourage them to follow my example, and during school breaks some even ask me to teach their children, which has allowed me to motivate many young students in my hometown to take education seriously and aim higher.