“I’M passionate about all things tech,” says 20-year-old Deenauth Mohabeer.

But maybe, passionate is an understatement for this young man’s interest in the field of Information Technology (IT), given his recent strides and accomplishments in the local field.

Relating why he’s so interested in the field, Mohabeer said, “I’m fascinated by how a piece of technology can change and improve one’s life. That idea is what drives me to work hard every single day to make and deliver software solutions that impact people’s lives.”

Currently, he is an analyst programmer attached to a local tech company, Innovative Systems Inc (Innosys), which means that he develops new software, modifies existing software and manages data. Simultaneously, he is pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science from the University of London via distance learning.

Studying computer science while working at Innosys was a “pure coincidence” for Deenauth. He explained that after he topped the 2016 Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) after his second year at Queen’s College, he began looking for a university and a job to pay for furthering his studies. Landing a job at Innosys was practically the best of both worlds, for him.

The stars continued to align from there as Deenauth set out to recreate the public image of the company and sensitise the public on what the local tech industry can do.

Along with other members of Innosys, Deenauth participated in the ‘DevX’ technology exhibition organised by Version75 (another local tech company). Here, various groups engaged with the public, aiming to raise awareness on the work done in the industry.

Then, it was no holds barred where Deenauth functioned as the team captain for Team Innosys at the inaugural Ministry of Public Telecommunications (MoPT)’s CODESPRINT competition in September 2017. His team managed to score the top prize after developing an online e-agriculture platform that connects buyers and sellers for fresh produce and agro-processed items.

In the second annual Hackathon Competition held in November 2017, Deenauth and his team copped first place again after designing rates and tax management and reporting tool for local Neighbourhood Cemocratic councils (NCDs) and residents.

And finally, in December of 2017 he was part of the contingent from Innosys that received the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GCCI)’s Award for Innovation.

Though being involved tremendously in local tech affairs, he posited nevertheless, “I’m new to the tech space, over eight to 10 months [and] I haven’t had the impact I would like, because a lot of the moving parts are way out of my control [for now].”

Though unsure of where his professional aspirations lie, he knows that someday he wants to step into the field of data science or perhaps work with artificial intelligence. But for now, he’s committed to working at Innosys and finishing his Degree.

Aside from being a tech. whizz, Mohabeer likes reading and playing tennis- both of which help him to relieve stress and focus. Reading, according to him, takes you to an ‘untouched’ world of your own while tennis provides an impetus for strategising.

He noted too, “I’m a Star Wars, Anime, Youtube [and] cricket nerd, so when I’m not playing tennis or reading, I’m doing one of those.” A major pet peeve for him is being creatively suppressed or seeing someone who is.

According to him, he owes everything he has accomplished so far to his mother and father and to his older brother and sister.

Quoting the “world’s craziest genius”, Steve Jobs, he encouraged young people everywhere: “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And, most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”