Women's History Month Feature
By: Leila Biola Olukoga
Sometimes you don’t start off with a certain passion in life, but then it manifests itself into your interests. For example, take Grace Enitan.
Enitan was never a nerd.
Enitan never enjoyed math and didn’t particularly enjoy the sciences. However, after much research, Enitan found the perfect career opportunity for herself.
Raised in New York, 24-year-old Enitan has worked to establish herself across varying business sectors. Enitan, who has worked in the makeup industry for over ten years, has recently thrust herself into a new industry: data engineering.
“I like asking and answering questions, I like digging deep, and that’s what data science provided me with,” Enitan said.
Enitan works as a data engineering analyst for Accenture, an innovation Hub with one of the most flexible and diverse workspaces in the country. In addition to her involvement in STEM, Enitan serves as a makeup artist with Elewatv and is completing her undergraduate degree with University of the People.
“I love the creative industry, because when I go and do models, artists, just like the creative space, it's more leeway for me. I get to be more expressive” Enitan said. “Being with ElewaTv has allowed me the chance to be way more creative and meet more people. That's what I really want from my brand.”
As for her involvement in data engineering, Enitan said that her job with Accenture allows her to get more involved in the community.
“One of my goals is to just be able to give back to the community,” Enitan said. “The different panels that I've been on as well as different events that I've hosted as well as participating and volunteering are big goals of mine because I genuinely love giving back and Accenture really prioritizes community.”
Enitan said that being a black woman has facilitated her success in the makeup and data engineering spaces.
“Black women are possibly some of the most innovative people on Earth,” Enitan said. “I see how a lot of my ideas may differ from my counterparts, but they add so much more flair, there's so much more importance to certain projects that I'm on.”
Despite the disparity in black representation in STEM, Enitan said she will continue to work to represent and encourage black women in these spaces.
“Building that community online and seeing other women that look like me, and that are doing what I want to do, gave me even more confidence and even more security, that this is exactly what was that for me,” Enitan said. “So build the community online, if they're not within reach, find different events to go to different communities to be a part of, that will motivate you.”
Comentários