Since launching in 2021, Samsung Innovation Campus in Argentina has equipped over 180 students with STEM tools that enhance their employability. It has also made tech education more accessible: Carmen Sosa, from the second-year cohort, recounts how the programme gave her the skills and confidence to become the first female robotics technician in her hometown of Rio Grande, located in the country’s southernmost province.

My passion for computers has been lifelong. My mother recalls that my first encounter was in a cybercafé when I was four years old, where I showed great curiosity and interest. More than a decade later, at age 15, I visited Disney World in Orlando, Florida. I found myself almost as captivated by the technology—the robots and automated systems—as I was by the rides. It was far more advanced than anything I’d seen at home and I thought to myself, “I want to know how to build them”. Growing up in Tierra del Fuego, an Argentinian archipelago off the tip of South America only 1,000 kilometers from the Antarctic peninsula, accessibility to advanced tech and tech programmes was limited. But my enthusiasm never wavered. I really wanted to understand how systems work, how machines can be programmed to operate by themselves, and how technology can be applied to the real world. So, after high school, I went on to study automation and robotics at a technical college, where I was one of only two women. It was during this course that a teacher told me about Samsung Innovation Campus and the classes on offer. Keen to learn more about the Internet of Things (IoT), I signed up. I had assumed it would just be an extension of my school curriculum but the free programme surprised me. To my delight, I was taught completely new topics like programming and coding.

Putting it into practice

While I enjoyed all of the classes within Samsung’s programme, I liked the practical lessons best. A particular highlight was receiving a kit bag of hardware that contained a Raspberry Pi, which is a small, single-board computer that’s used in industrial and home automation, robotics and IoT devices.

We were then tasked with configuring the computer from scratch. This meant installing the operating systems, adding memory, constructing the terminals and connecting them on a network. I really enjoyed the process of starting from zero and making something into a reality.

Another highlight was working on a group project to establish a system that could read temperatures and adjust them remotely through a cell phone. While Tierra del Fuego means “land of fire,” the climate here is subzero for much of the year, so temperature and wind issues are important to address, making this project highly relevant. While it involved a lot of trial and error, I became less afraid to make mistakes over time because I realised that’s a great way to learn and grow.

Relevance in the real world

I currently hold two jobs, and the knowledge and experience I gained at Samsung Innovation Campus help me in both roles.

As a high school teacher, I lead two technical subjects: maintenance and electromechanical operations, and electrical machines. These two classes involve explaining how different machines function and are maintained, and I often incorporate hands-on activities to help my students understand their real-world applications—much like the approach used in Samsung’s programme. At times, I also train fellow teachers and school staff in the use of new technologies, such as basic programming and robotics tools.

At my other job, I spend 20 hours a week at the Rio Grande Astronomical Station, which monitors geophysical changes and seismic activity in the area to help predict earthquakes and extreme weather events. As an assistant in the Technology Services and Maintenance department, I am responsible for checking the calibration of the computer systems to ensure that the information they generate is accurate. This means making sure that the network is fully connected and troubleshooting the problem if not.

It's a role that Samsung’s course certainly helped me secure as it gave me the foundational knowledge, as well as confidence and communication skills to follow my dreams. Moreover, at the station, I’m one of only two members of staff who know how to use the Raspberry Pi system. I’ve even helped introduce the technology to other factories in the Rio Grande area.

Overcoming geographical and gender barriers

Through Samsung Innovation Campus, I not only gained technical skills, but became better at expressing myself. With so many doors open for me now, I feel like there are countless opportunities I want to pursue in the future. I want to stay with my chosen profession because I love contributing to my community, but I also dream of working in a robotics laboratory one day.

Where I’m from, it’s rather isolated and thus challenging to access high-quality tech learning. It can be difficult for the youth, and particularly girls, to get involved with these types of programmes. So, I’m really proud to be the first woman to work as a robotics technician in Rio Grande—made possible thanks to Samsung Innovation Campus. I hope to inspire other young women to empower themselves, and I wholly encourage them to utilise and undergo the course as I have. It’s worth the commitment because you can discover how to change your life. It’s made me believe that I can achieve what I set my mind to.

to learn more, please visit: The Economist: Future is You