Imphal: How often do you hear people talking about computer programming as a fun and enjoyable activity? Most people would consider it an arduous activity bereft of any joy; but then, for most people, it is just a job. For Shatyik Ahum, however, it is anything but boring and that perhaps explains why Ahum, a youth from Ukhrul, now works for Google Inc. in Seoul.
Shatyik’s love and passion for computer science started at a tender age when he began playing video games on his father’s rented computer.
“Back when my dad used to rent a desktop for his work, I would occasionally play games and explore various applications. This early exposure sparked a lifelong interest in computers and technology,” said this young techno-savvy youth from Ringui village in Ukhrul district in an exclusive conversation with EastMojo.
Born to Ahum Victor, a linguist and school textbook writer and Gloria Ahum, a school teacher, Shatyik grew up in the picturesque town of Ukhrul, the land of the Tangkhul Naga tribe, along with his two siblings.
After completing schooling in his native town Ukhrul, Shatyik went on to graduate from Stanford University, one of the world’s leading research and teaching institutions in the United States, courtesy a full scholarship. He majored in Computer Science with a minor in education.
Shatyik recently landed a lucrative job at Google as a data scientist and is currently based at its Seoul Campus in South Korea. His work involves developing algorithms and doing product research on a handful of Google services. He is likely the first from the Tangkhul community to work as a data scientist for a tech giant like Google.
However, for Shatyik, the first generation from his family in the tech industry as a profession, the journey to his dream job was anything but easy.
Expressing his challenges, he said “It was extremely challenging because I had no guidance from anyone so I had to learn everything through the internet. My preparation for the round of interviews was also the most intense period of my life.”
But his resilience, hard work and focus paid off. He is now happy that those sleepless nights are behind him and he can focus on the work he loves to do.
“I was assigned to the Google Maps team earlier but now I mostly work on improving Search and YouTube algorithms. It’s honestly pretty exciting to work on something that billions of people around the world use daily,” an excited Shatyik told to EastMojo.
Sharing his thoughts on why so few from his Tangkhul community are specialising in data science or building careers in big tech companies, Shatyik said the region’s education system and a lack of career guidance from knowledgeable people within the community are a huge factor.
“Programming is not a hard science. It is quite fun, and I think anyone can learn to a decent level without any prior knowledge with some effort. In comparison, pursuing medicine is 3-4 times harder in my opinion,” he said.
He further encouraged his fellow youngsters and students to read more books. “I think reading helps you form a habit of acquiring knowledge in a non-linear way, broadening your horizons and developing critical thinking skills,” he said.
Although he enjoys the kind of work he is currently involved with, Shatyik’s lifelong dream is to follow in the footprints of his parents and become an educator to work for the betterment of children and youth of the community. However, the kind of education system he envisages is to shape and prepare the students for tomorrow.
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“Hopefully, when I’m financially stable and God willing, I plan to return to my hometown Ukhrul and open an International Baccalaureate (IB) school. IB is a school system based on an international curriculum and I think the IB curriculum matches my educational philosophy on how to best prepare students to be leaders of tomorrow and to become good global citizens,” he revealed.
The young lad from Manipur’s Ukhrul is also eyeing sustainable farming and building a self-reliant community. “Another interest of mine is sustainable farming. I think the way we produce agriculture, especially in the hill regions of Manipur, needs better best practices; a natural corollary to that will be a better self-sustaining community,” he added.
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