Student Inspirations: Jessica O. Matthews
To celebrate the launch of our new Mentorship program, our BTS Summer Students are creating a blog series on people who motivate and inspire them.
For Simi Jayeoba, one of those people is Jessica O. Matthews, the Nigerian-American inventor, visionary and CEO of Uncharted Power.
Source: IPOEF
I first heard about Jessica O. Matthews at a presentation for International Women’s Day at my university where she delivered a speech that embodied her confidence and courage. Her journey as an inventor began with evaluating her own life and the lives of those she cared about and then considering how she could make a change for the better. Groundbreaking innovations such as the Soccket, a soccer ball that can be used as a power generator, allowed access to power for those living off the energy grid like in parts of Nigeria.
“Just by living, you can be part of the solution”
As a young Nigerian woman myself, It was so motivating to witness someone being themselves and sharing the power of their experience. I got to see someone challenge what they were told was possible and finding greatness. I will be doing that more and more in my own life and I am grateful to have a model of that possibility.