“Be fearless because overthinking will steal opportunities from you.”
Idayat Sanni
When you meet Idayat Sanni, one thing is clear immediately: her journey into tech wasn’t exactly linear, but that’s what makes her story much more compelling.
Today, Idayat is a Humber Polytechnic student deeply involved in web development, AI, volunteering and more. But just a few years ago, she was involved in public relations and media, where she studied advertising, not algorithms.
The first spark
With her background in PR, she brings a unique perspective to the world of tech, developing platforms with the user’s point of view in mind. But where did it all start?
“I started my journey into tech around two years ago when I came to Humber,” Sanni said. “I began with web development, but along the line, I got into ethical AI and data analysis. Eventually, I enrolled in the artificial intelligence integration program and now everything I do revolves around data.”
Her first spark for coding came from when she ran her personal blog. In enjoying taking care of her website, her friend suggested exploring the world of coding, and then everything just clicked.
“I used to take care of my website a lot,” she said with a laugh. “A friend told me, ‘Why don’t you go into this field?’ So I started there and I wrote my first code in HTML and saw it appear on the screen. Seeing the font and the text come out so beautifully, I thought, ‘Oh my God.’ Then I learned CSS, and that ability to make something come to life… that was it. That was my fascination.”
Even as Idayat transitions deeper into the world of data and AI, she said front-end development will always be her first love.
Hackathons
One of Idayat’s biggest highlights was placing second in the Campus Changemakers Hackathon hosted by IGNITE and Humber’s Longo Centre for Entrepreneurship, where her team’s project allowed her to blend her creativity, problem-solving and storytelling.
“It was amazing because we put ourselves in students’ shoes,” she said. “We had mentors guiding us, we brainstormed constantly, and we had to figure out how to pitch to people with short attention spans.”
She believes hackathons offer something the lecture rooms simply cannot replicate.
“It really, really takes you outside of the classroom into what it means to work in an environment with people that may have, you know, different ways of thinking, different ways of doing things and that really has built up my skills in terms of collaboration, problem solving with other people,” Sanni said.
Volunteering and finding community
Idayat is also a dedicated volunteer. She is currently managing volunteers for the Women Coding Community.
Idayat is very passionate about supporting meaningful causes. “I may not have a problem I want to solve personally, but I’m always ready to roll up my sleeves and help someone else solve theirs,” Sanni said.
When it comes to the Women Coding Community, Idayat said it has helped her develop a strong foundation in coding while also becoming part of an amazing community that spans over different countries.
A journey that began just as a participant role, turned into mentorship and then leadership. “I used their resources, attended events and later became a volunteer. I’ve met lifelong friends [at Women Coding Community] and mentors who guide me not just academically but in life,” Sanni said.
Her biggest passion now is helping other women navigate the challenges that she faced when starting out, while also increasing accessibility for the community.
Navigating life and classes realistically
When asked how she balances everything, including classes, hackathons, work and volunteering, Idayat was honest:
“Everybody keeps asking me about this balance and I have to say there is no balance,” she said with a laugh.
Idayat said what helped her navigate her tasks was truly knowing herself, and learning to work with herself has made things significantly easier.
She breaks at least one hour of her day into working on something productive, which makes it easier rather than putting everything all the way to the end.
But adjusting to the semester wasn’t always easy. With eight courses per semester, she didn’t always have the time to dive deep into her curiosity.
“What helped me was talking to mentors who could summarize things instead of me reading 30 pages,” Sanni said. “I also had to learn through study videos and learned my study pattern, like learning alone in my room instead of the library.”
Most of all, she credits her classmates.
“We were all struggling together. We shared ideas, we all knew each other’s struggles, what we needed to get done and being able to share that with somebody makes things so much easier on my journey. Like having somebody that is currently in my stage of struggle,” Sanni said.
Looking ahead
As Idayat continues on her journey, her goal is simple:
“I want to actually enjoy my student experience. I’ve spent so long chasing opportunities, building skills, doing hackathons, volunteering. Now I want to take the time to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime phase,” she said.
And like many tech students, she keeps an eye on the rapid growth of AI closely.
“AI is always going to go as far as we want and the government allows it. So I’m just keeping an eye on the government, what are the policies and what the laws are going to be,” said Sanni.
To everyone reading
Today, Idayat is also assisting in managing the volunteers for the FIFA 2026 World Cup, where she gets to meet people and experience the excitement and enthusiasm for soccer.
Her message for students, especially the ones entering coding and web development, is the ultimate motivation:
“Get out of your room and do something. Be fearless. Apply for that opportunity. Apply for that job posting that you saw, join a club, meet a friend, talk to somebody new. Just be very, very fearless,” she said.
Idayat emphasizes not letting overthinking hinder your path to success.
“I wouldn’t have achieved or experienced half of everything I’ve done so far. Being fearless and just knowing that you tried something once, you gave it your all. It’s better than not doing anything.”
Feature image courtesy of Idayat Sanni
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