Abijah Mashava: From the passion of Illinois technology to cloud computing and global missions
Abijah Mashava’s journey began in Highfield, a small town in Harare, Zimbabwe, and brought him to the mainland, board membership and played various roles in software and systems engineering. Today, he is not only a tech founder and cloud consultant in Central New York, but also a proud graduate of the online master’s degree in information technology. The program from the nationally ranked Illinois Tech University is completed online via Coursera.
Abijah’s story is one of the ambitions, communities and beliefs about the power of technology to enhance the power of others.
“I came from a very young population with a significant challenge, a lack of resources,” Abia said. “They are the ones who raised me. I’m lucky to be in the United States, with an agency like Illinois, and now I want to give back.”
Build skills to build solutions
With its engineering and important IT background, Abijah has developed strong fundamental skills. But, knowing it was developing rapidly, he looked for other means of education. He finally found this at Illinois Institute of Technology through a flexible hands-on education that will allow him to grow while empowering him with his long-term vision, which will ultimately help him launch projects that benefit young people in his hometown.
“I’m passionate about technology and information systems,” he said. “That’s one of the reasons I chose the program. Another is the convenience of research. I worked full-time at a financial institution in New York and later started my own startup. Being able to learn my terms made it possible.”
Chicago’s leading University of Technology-centered Illinois Institute of Technology provides Abijah with the opportunity to deepen his skills while applying what he has learned in real time. From full-stack software development to deploying cloud-based applications, this course covers everything.
“The program starts with the basics and builds. You learn to develop an application from scratch: hardware to deployment. It definitely fills the gap in my knowledge, especially around cloud computing. Today, the cloud is at the heart of my consulting efforts.”
Confidence, Certification and Career Growth
The skills Abia developed through the program not only stayed in the classroom, but also translated directly into his work.
“By the time I finished, I was confident in growing my business and getting advanced consulting,” he explained. “The program was very well structured and once it was done, you were ready to win certifications like AWS Cloud Architect. I was able to complete the certificate quickly because the technical basics were more covered in the courses at Advanced Master.”
He believes the professors and support staff have been successful, especially his Coursera admissions representative, who he considers as the “success coach” of India Viera.
“At first, I didn’t understand how successful coaches work,” Abia admitted. “But India proved it to me its value. She made key suggestions for navigation course procedures and electives. She encouraged me and provided key tips for success, which made me a difference. She was solid.”
Promote and give back
Abijah, who completed his degree in just 14 months and graduated on May 17, 2025, proudly shared that his degree is not the only certificate he has received in this time frame. In addition to his diploma, Abijah also collected certificates online through Coursera:
“It means burning midnight oil,” he laughed. “I took a month off just to focus on my final project and AWS certification. But I’m confident enough to complete my degree when I get the certificate. The degree program is designed like this, and if you complete it, you can easily get these additional certifications. It’s a natural progression for me.”
Looking ahead, Abijah plans to continue to expand his consulting business and grow his startup, which focuses on creating jobs for young people in southern Africa. In the long run, he hopes to enter philanthropy and bring education and opportunities to underserved communities.
Suggestions for future learners
Abijah is not sugar-coated, which is strictly. But for him, the reward was worth it.
“The most important thing is: If you have the passion and desire to do this, there is nothing to stop you. However, it takes effort and commitment. The plan is not a walk in the park. You have to plan, manage your time and stay realistic about the burden on the course.”
He also stressed the importance of labs and hands-on work. “These lectures are built on the lab. Pay close attention to your professors. Perform each lab. The last two courses bring everything together and are actually oriented.”
Most importantly, Abijah hopes that more learners from underrepresented and in disadvantaged communities can access such programs.
“This program made me realize what is possible. I hope there are more people with my background to experience it. Illinois Tech has enabled me to use the way … if they can offer it to more people, the impact would be incredible.”
🎓About the program:
Illinois Master of Science and Technology Information Technology is available 100% online via Coursera. The program enables learners to have practical, advanced skills in software development, system architecture and cloud computing, making it ideal for professional professionals who are designed to grow or hub. The program also offers performance-based admissions, paid tuition on demand, and certificates provided through certificates such as Abijah mentioned in his story. To learn more about its owner, please contact below!
