Coding Together
Ohio Wesleyan Student Completes Software Development Internship With Telecel Ghana
Name: Nana Kwadwo Tweneboa-Kodua '27
Hometown: Portland, Oregon
High School: Ghana Christian International High School
Major: Computer Science
Minor: Economics
OWU Connection Experience: During summer break, Nana Kwadwo worked as a software development intern at Telecel Ghana, a top-tier provider of digital and telecommunications solutions across the African continent.
"I had the opportunity to contribute to various projects," Nana Kwadwo said, including:
- Developing and testing RESTful APIs (Representational State Transfer Application Programming Interfaces) using Spring Boot. (Computer systems use RESTful APIs to exchange information securely over the internet.)
- Contributing to internal services.
- Understanding and helping to build parts of a billing and customer record management system API.
- Supporting backend processes for customer transactions and deployment.
"This internship gave me exposure to a wide breadth of the tech field and helped me explore what kind of engineer/developer I want to become."
Why This Experience?
"I was eager to get experience in a real-world environment and grow as a developer."
Favorite Moments
"My favorite moment was actually during one of our intense, late-night debugging sessions. We were completely stuck on an error for hours, but instead of getting frustrated, the software dev team just ordered waakye (a Ghanaian rice-and-beans dish), put on some music, and kept going at the problem.
"The moment we all saw the code run perfectly around 2 a.m. was pure elation. It wasn't just fixing the bug; it was the realization of how powerful it was to see them work as a unit and be able to learn from that.
"Huge shoutout to the VGIL (Vodafone Ghana Innovation Lab) team – Daniel Osei-Tutu, CEO Patricia Obo-Nai, and Frank Tsikata – for making my experience even better."
It was crucial to clearly tell the team what I wanted to learn and know, and why. Project success depended on everyone understanding the code, not just the code running.
Lessons Learned
"I learned that it's not enough to just write good code, you have to deliver it. My classroom learning focused on theory, but the VGIL experience taught me the Agile process. We learned to break big problems into small, two-week sprints and deliver working features every time. This made my theoretical knowledge real.
"The biggest lesson was that communication really is key. It was crucial to clearly tell the team what I wanted to learn and know, and why. Project success depended on everyone understanding the code, not just the code running. This skill will define my professional work."
Real-World Experience
"These experiences are important because they prepare you for the real world. In school, most problems have clear answers. In the work environment, I faced real-world confusion, changing needs, and complex teamwork. This experience built my confidence and proved I can take classroom knowledge and use it to succeed in a team environment."
Campus Involvements
At Ohio Wesleyan, Nana Kwadwo is involved with Club Soccer, Bishop Scholars tutoring, Black Student Union, Computer Science Club, Horizons club to celebrate international understanding, and Rafiki wa Afrika to promote cultural awareness.
Why Ohio Wesleyan?
"I loved the idea of community; it gave me good vibes. It felt immediately welcoming and close-knit, which was exactly what I wanted in a smaller college environment. I felt like I could easily connect with professors and other students. Also, the idea of applying what I learn in class to real-world experiences."
Plans After Graduation
"My plan is to pursue a career in software development but also involving my interest in economics. At the same time, I will keep up with my existing professional art career. (Nana Kwadwo is an award-winning digital artist.)
"Ohio Wesleyan helps me by giving me two things. A strong base for coding required in the job market, and a liberal arts education that teaches me to manage and succeed in multiple fields at once, preparing me for a professional life that is both technical and creative."