Since its launch in 2020, the rigorous curriculum of Samsung Innovation Campus in Peru—comprising over 140 hours of technical training covering topics like programming and over 30 hours of soft skills workshops—has benefitted many students. One attendee, 21-year-old Morelia Paola Gonzales Valdivia, shares how the course ignited a newfound passion in AI and paved the way for life-changing opportunities.

I’ve always been curious about how websites and mobile apps work. In high school, I had a great teacher who taught us about computers; we learned how to create websites and it opened up a whole new world for me.

I explored this passion through various avenues. After high school, I studied English at a language institute, which required an individual project. I decided to build a mobile app for the institute which, at that time, did not have one. I managed to create it in three days and presented it to the director, who really loved it. My next venture was another app called “Are You Bored”, which people can use to watch movies, read books and play games.

Four years ago, at 17, I founded a tutoring agency called More Academy. It started with an Instagram page sharing tips about learning English, before expanding into teaching others the language. When more students signed up, I developed it further to include other subjects like math and, crucially, programming and coding skills.

All these experiences cemented my fascination with software engineering, leading to my choice of degree at the Universidad Tecnológica del Perú in Lima. The university was also where I first learned about Samsung Innovation Campus, which changed my life.

Learning a new language

Previously, my interest was focused on websites and mobile apps. But Samsung’s free programme offered something new, so I was curious and excited. I wanted to challenge myself and gain more knowledge beyond what I was learning in class.

For instance, I had heard about neural networks, but it wasn’t something explored further in university, since my classes weren’t about artificial intelligence (AI). Instead, I had hoped Samsung Innovation Campus would help me dive deeper into this concept and similar topics, and give me a clearer picture of how things work.

Indeed, it did. One example was the programming language Python, which I would say is the most important technical skill I gained. While I had learned some basics from university, Samsung’s programme taught me much more and the curriculum was more holistic.

I was very nervous for my first class but my teacher was very energetic and had an incredible attitude. We started off with an introduction to AI and from the second class onwards, we began to code. Each lesson comprised a detailed presentation; we were also provided a platform—almost like a virtual notebook—that we could code on. With it, I could easily follow my teacher’s instructions.

This inspired me to start teaching Python at More Academy. Equipped with the knowledge from the programme, I created a three-month-long course tailored to children six to 15 years old.

Hard work and soft skills

When I’m not studying and teaching, I work as a trainee web developer in my university’s tech department. My role sees me writing code, testing features, implementing web designs and collaborating with my colleagues to improve internal systems. Currently, I’m working with the team responsible for our admissions portal.

What really helped me land this job was a soft skills course within Samsung’s programme, where I was taught about leadership, time management and public speaking, along with CV writing and interview preparation. During it, we were also encouraged to identify our strengths and pinpoint areas we’d like to improve on. This self-reflection made me realise that I wanted to improve my communication skills and work on asking for help when needed. I usually try to do everything by myself but I know now that I can achieve my goals faster with teamwork.

I practice this new skill at work: many of my workmates know a lot more than I do, and I can learn from them. I’ve lost my fear of asking questions.

Carving my own path

Samsung Innovation Campus has opened numerous doors for me and because of it, I’ve gotten many opportunities. Before I attended, I wasn’t very drawn to AI. But thanks to the programme, I’ve fallen in love with it. It enabled me to understand where we currently are as a society and what might come in the future, as well as provided me with a framework of how technology fits into the broader picture.

My short-term goals include being promoted to a full-time staff from my trainee developer role, and to also get a master’s degree in AI. Eventually, I would also like to work abroad. Further on the horizon, I want to expand More Academy and grow the business as an education initiative by integrating AI into my website.

Since concluding my experience with Samsung Innovation Campus, I’ve been encouraging all my peers to sign up for it. I keep telling them that the programme will equip them with valuable hard and soft skills, and lead them to job opportunities—like it has for me.

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