Bloom: Lana Sakkoul
Lana Sakkoul is a third-year professional bachelor Applied Computer Science at HOGENT. She chose system and network management as her specialisation and during her final semester she is doing an internship at FlowFactor, a DevOps service provider of the Cronos Group. It is Lana's dream to become a successful ICT woman. According to her, technical knowledge, skills and experience are the most important ingredients for success. We suspect that her perseverance will also help a bit. 🔻
The forbidden fruit
Lana moved from Syria to Belgium in 2016, at the age of 20. She learned Dutch and enrolled at HOGENT three years ago. The Applied Computer Science course is a logical consequence of the curiosity for computers she developed as a young girl.
Lana, how old were you when you first became interested in IT?
"I was eight years old when my older sister got a computer. For me, it was the first time I had seen a computer and I immediately found the machine very interesting. Of course, my sister wouldn't let me touch it. It was her computer. That only made me more curious. As a consolation prize, my sister bought me a PlayStation, but I preferred to sit next to her and watch her use it. And after a while, I waited impatiently for my sister to leave the house so I could secretly use it myself. She still doesn't know I did that!"
In Syria we have a saying: 'Everything that is forbidden is attractive'. That is perhaps the main reason why I became interested in IT. Because I was doing something that wasn't really allowed."
Did you play games on the computer?
"Yes, but I also tried all the buttons. I really wanted to know how it all worked and sometimes that went wrong. That was a problem because my sister was learning technology at school and she needed her computer for that. Luckily, she didn't know I had broken it.
"My big sister bought me a PlayStation because she didn't want me to use her computer. I secretly did anyway and that's how I taught myself IT."
Selfmade ICT girl
So you have taught yourself IT?
"That's how it started, yes, and it actually went very well. After a few years I became the 'ICT girl' in the family and at school. Everything that had to do with cabling and computer problems came to me for a solution."
At such a young age, when you are already so good with computers, it seems natural to continue in this field. Yet Lana hesitated between two studies.
Did you want to study ICT later anyway?
"Not necessarily. Besides computer science, I also found biology interesting. That was the subject I enjoyed most at school. When I went to university, I hesitated between biomedical sciences and ICT. I could actually see myself working in a lab, but a few people around me convinced me to choose technology after all. Their enthusiasm for ICT convinced me."
Meanwhile, you are almost graduating from HOGENT and chose system and network administration as your IT specialisation. Why that choice?
"Programming in .NET or Java or something like that didn't always interest me. System and network management is broader than programming or just writing code. It is much more varied and I like that."
Lana completed her professional bachelor's degree with a three-month company internship. She very deliberately chose a DevOps assignment and ended up at FlowFactor.
"This internship has made me realise even more who I am and what I like to do. DevOps is definitely one of them. I would love to make it my profession."
Tell us about your internship at FlowFactor?
"I have been interested in DevOps for some time and wanted to find out if it is what I expected it to be in practice. During my first interview at FlowFactor, there was an immediate personal click, so things were already on the right track. I also like the task that I am doing within the company. I use OpenShift and work on the security of the cluster. Very interesting! This internship has made me realise even more who I am and what I like to do. DevOps is definitely one of them. I would like to make this my profession.
Continuous learning
Lana has not had it easy in recent years. She is a go-getter, that is clear.
Is there anything you are proud of?
"I am very proud that I am in my last semester of Computer Science. My family is still in Saudi Arabia. It is not easy as a non-native and single student to get this far. This is my biggest success for now."
What challenges do you still want to overcome?
"I experience two challenges every day, both related to DevOps tools. The first is about the large number of DevOps tools available, which makes choosing very difficult, especially if there is little knowledge of the underlying technology. The second challenge is about the lack of general tool knowledge that I experience as an intern. I always have to be eager to learn, but I don't mind that. One of the most important points in becoming a successful ICT professional is that I have to be up to date with the latest technologies and be able to work with many tools to meet customers' requirements."
How do you do that? How will you achieve that?
"Continuously gathering information and always trying to learn how to use as many new tools as possible. I study a lot, until late at night, especially about DevOps now, for my internship."
You just said that you want to become a successful ICT professional. What does success mean to you?
"It is indeed my ambition to become a successful ICT woman. For me, success has everything to do with the necessary experience, skills and technical knowledge. The content is the most important thing for me. For example, I get euphoric joy when I can solve a problem after a long search. That gives me a really good feeling."
A clear message for women
"A real woman is who she wants to be."
How do you feel as a woman in tech?
"I once read a quote that stayed with me: 'Being a woman in a team of all men means you're going to have a unique voice. It is important to embrace that. I couldn't agree more. My first priority is to do what I love. "
And there is something else that Lana wants to say: "I would like to motivate other women to do something with ICT. In my study programme, there are only three women out of 70 students. That is a pity. Technology is an important part of our daily lives. The digital world continues to develop and the technology sector is growing exponentially. Women must also dare to participate. A real woman is who she wants to be."
Lana Sakkoul is a high-flyer, we are sure of it. She knows very well where she wants to go and how she plans to get there. A good example for girls interested in IT and women who want to develop further in tech.
Want to know more about Lana? Connect with her on LinkedIn!
