Sharifa Tucker

Londoner Sharifa Tucker, 29, joined Sopra Steria’s Digital Academy through the ‘Get into Tech’ initiative. An ambassador for The King’s Trust – and face of the charity’s new ‘Change a Girl’s Life’ campaign – Sharifa is grateful for the opportunity to pursue a career in an industry she loves.

Having worked as a PE teacher in a secondary school for four years, Sharifa realised it wasn’t the role for her in the long term. Unsure of where to turn for support, she heard about The King’s Trust and how the charity might be able to help her fulfil her tech ambitions.   

Sharifa explained: “I had some good times teaching and I was successful at it. But it was a struggle, in part because it coincided with the pandemic, and I realised I just wasn’t happy. I felt I needed to prioritise my mental health and that meant looking to change careers completely.  

“Technology had always been a passion when I was growing up. The King’s Trust really supported me by giving me access to training courses and helped me learn new skills, like coding and app development. However, just as things were starting to look up, I found out I was being evicted, which came completely out of the blue and was a bit of a bombshell.”

Despite the setback in her personal life, Sharifa was eager to join the ‘Get into Tech’ programme at Sopra Steria. Her skills and enthusiasm led to her being offered a place in Sopra Steria’s Digital Academy – and she hasn’t looked back since.

Sharifa said: “My role at Sopra Steria is in our ServiceNow practice, supporting clients and constantly learning at the same time. I’m able to thrive professionally but also have a great work-life balance.

“I’m very passionate about volunteering and giving back to The King’s Trust. My ambassador role means I can play my part in supporting the next generation of young people who, just like me, are simply asking for an opportunity to prove themselves.”