I didn’t plan to stay fifteen years. In fact, I joined Cisco thinking it would be a stepping stone — a few years to grow, learn, and move on. But somewhere between the projects that stretched me, the people who believed in me, and the purpose that grounded me, it became so much more than a job. It became home.

Opening New Doors

When I walked through Cisco’s doors fifteen years ago, at the RTP Campus Cisco Building 11, I carried both ambition and hope. My very first role was a dream come true — I could hardly believe it happened. As a survivor of the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda at just thirteen years old, who had lost my parents and two siblings, and raised my three younger siblings, building a life from scratch and securing a position at a global tech leader like Cisco felt like an impossible feat. I hadn’t come in through a network or a recommendation, just my own application and merit. And somehow, that door opened.

I came in hungry to prove myself and eager to learn from the best. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of serving across both Customer Experience (post-sales) and Sales — first rising through networking consulting engineering and customer success roles in CX, where I focused on solution delivery, optimization, and long-term customer success. I later transitioned into the pre-sales side as a technical solutions architect and solutions engineer, where I blend technical depth with business strategy, shaping outcomes before they’re built. Each move reminded me that Cisco doesn’t just offer jobs — it offers room to grow and explore new opportunities without ever having to leave.

Each step stretched me, sharpened me, and expanded my impact.

Some roles I pursued didn’t work out. But even those “noes” became bridges. Leaders who once turned me down for a role became mentors, sponsors, and advocates — supporting me, cheering me on, and opening doors I hadn’t even known existed.

Through it all, I met customers who inspired me with their vision, partners who reminded me that innovation only thrives when trust and collaboration lead the way, and colleagues who are now lifelong friends.

Where Purpose Took Flight

Cisco is more than a workplace, it’s my home away from home, where I found my voice, my confidence, and my purpose. It didn’t just shape my career — it helped me rise above the storms of my past.

Early in my Cisco journey, inspired by our giving back culture, I founded Rising Above the Storms (RAS), a nonprofit that supports vulnerable youth in Rwanda through education and mentorship. What began as a personal mission — to honor my family’s legacy and give other orphans a chance at life — soon found its wings through Cisco’s immersive culture of giving back, and over time, helped it grow.

Success, Redefined

Cisco didn’t just make room for my dream — it stood behind it with a strength I never could have imagined. My very first Board of Directors was made up entirely of Cisco employees who believed in Rising Above the Storms from the very beginning. And year after year, our most dedicated volunteers have continued to come from Cisco, showing up with their time, expertise, and hearts.

Through employee giving, matched donations, and volunteer hours (we receive 80 hours of paid time off each year for it), Cisco has contributed nearly 40% of our annual nonprofit budget, empowering us to educate, mentor, and care for hundreds of vulnerable students in Rwanda. It’s one thing to work alongside talented colleagues. It’s another to see those same people pour their time and hearts into something that matters far beyond our day-to-day roles.

From the Bridge to Possible Award (2018) and the Community Hero Award, Cisco didn’t simply acknowledge my mission — it amplified it. When Cisco’s production team flew to Rwanda to film my story, capturing how technology and compassion can transform lives, it validated not just me, but the mission itself. That video became a turning point for RAS — the moment our foundation, reputation, and credibility took root.

Cisco didn’t just support a nonprofit. It helped ignite a movement of hope.

Given the Gift of Growth

Cisco has given me more than a career — it has given me the ability to rebuild lives, starting with my own. It enabled me to financially support and open doors not just for my younger siblings, whom I raised after we lost our parents, but now for many more children who remind me of where I once stood.

I’ve built a career that’s taken me across CX and Sales, supported incredible customers and partners, and taken me to all 50 U.S. states and over 30 countries. Along the way, I’ve been lifted by a community that believes in people before titles, and in Purpose before profit.

Fifteen years later, I’ve learned the most meaningful growth doesn’t always happen from the roles you hold, but from the people and experiences that shape you along the way. It happens in the moments when people see your potential and choose to invest in it.

I came to Cisco for a job — but I got so much more than anything I could have imagined on that first day. I found belonging. I found purpose. I found a place that believed in the power of one story — when shared and supported — can ripple outward and change lives

Cisco isn’t just where I’ve spent fifteen years. It’s where the work, the people, and the Purpose aligned in a way that continues to matter.

And it’s why I’m still here.

Ready for a role where your career and purpose align? Find your place at Cisco.

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