I didn’t plan to stay fifteen years. I actually 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 much more than work. It became home.
Opening new doors
Fifteen years ago, when I walked through the doors of Cisco at RTP Campus Cisco Building 11, I had both ambition and hope. My very first role was a dream come true – I couldn’t believe it happened. As a survivor of the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda at just thirteen years old, who lost my parents and two siblings and raised my three younger siblings, I built my life from scratch and secured a position with a global technology leader like Cisco as an impossible feat. I didn’t come through the net or referral, just my own application and merit. And somehow that door opened.
I came hungry to prove myself and eager to learn from the best. Over the years, I have had the privilege of providing both customer experience (post-sales) and sales services – initially growing through network consulting engineering and customer success roles in CX, focusing on solution delivery, optimization and long-term customer success. I later moved to the pre-sales side as a Technical Solutions Architect and Solutions Engineer, where I combine technical depth with business strategy and shape results before they are built. Every step of the way reminded me that Cisco doesn’t just offer jobs – it offers room to grow and explore new opportunities without having to leave.
Each step stretched me, sharpened me, and expanded my impact.
Some of the roles I pursued didn’t pan out. But even this “no” became bridges. Leaders who once rejected me for a role became mentors, sponsors, and advocates—supporting me, cheering me on, and opening doors I didn’t even know 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 did the purpose fly
Cisco is more than just a workplace, it’s my home away from home, where I’ve found my voice, my confidence, and my purpose. Not only did it shape my career—it helped me rise above the storms of my past.
At the beginning of my Cisco journey, inspired by our culture of giving back, I founded Rising Above the Storms (RAS)a non-profit organization 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 reward culture and helped it grow over time.
Success, redefined
Cisco didn’t just make room for my dream—it stood behind it with a strength I could never have imagined. My very first board 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 and give with their time, expertise, and heart.
Through employee giving, matching donations, and volunteer hours (earning us 80 hours of paid time off each year), Cisco has contributed nearly 40% of our annual nonprofit budget, enabling 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 thing to see those same people for their time and heart in something that matters far beyond our day-to-day roles.
Since the Bridge to Possible Award (2018) and the Community Hero Award, Cisco has not only recognized my mission, but rather amplified it. When Cisco’s production team flew to Rwanda to film my story about how technology and compassion can change lives, it validated not only me, but the mission itself. This video was a turning point for RAS – the moment our foundation, reputation and credibility took root.
Cisco didn’t just support the non-profit. It helped spark a movement of hope.
Given the gift of growth
Cisco gave me more than just a career—it gave me the ability to rebuild lives, starting with mine. It has allowed me to financially support and open doors not only to my younger siblings that I raised after we lost our parents, but now to many other children who remind me of where I once stood.
I have built a career that has moved me across the board CX and salessupported incredible customers and partners and took me to all of them 50 US states and more 30 countries. Along the way, I have been lifted up by a community that believes in people over titles and purpose over profit.
Fifteen years later, I’ve learned that the most meaningful growth doesn’t always come from the roles you hold, but from the people and experiences that shape you along the way. It happens in moments when people see your potential and decide to invest in it.
I came to Cisco for a job—but on that first day, I got so much more than anything I could have imagined. I found belonging. I found a purpose. I found a place that believed in the power of one story – when shared and supported – it can ripple outward and change lives
Cisco isn’t just where I spent fifteen years. It is where work, people and Purpose are aligned in a way that continues to matter.
And that’s why I’m still here.
Are you ready for a role where your career and purpose align? Find your place at Cisco.
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