Black Futures Month Features
Designed by Chanelle Abankwah, Transforming Sights
Still Becoming Chanelle
Chanelle is a first-generation daughter who faced a pivotal decision in high school as she began carving her path in STEM and exploring the world of tech and design. She described the journey as “unfamiliar territory”. When she looked around, there were no clear examples, no blueprint to follow, no one before her or beside her pursuing a similar path in tech and design.
Yet, she chose to move forward anyway.
Rooted in her faith and fueled by resilience, Chanelle made one simple promise to herself: just give it a try.
Chanelle’s journey in tech and design deepended when she enrolled at Toronto Metropolitan University, which validated her passion as a career. The road was not always easy, but it allowed her to grow far beyond what she imagined and gave her momentum.
Through that growth, she found herself in spaces filled with community, people she now calls her colleagues, former classmates, clients, and her STEM community at Rise In STEM.
Chanelle already had confidence the moment she took that leap of faith into tech and design. In spaces like Rise In STEM, where she first joined as a participant, later served on the Youth Committee and now contributes to their design work, that confidence was stretched, renewed, and strengthened.
She reflected on realizing that no one succeeds alone and that the people around you help shape who you become. Rise In STEM was one of the spaces, equipping and challenged her in ways that strengthened the confidence that she brings to her work and self-belief today.
We asked, “Beyond the classroom, what have you learned?”
Chanelle replied, “The best teacher is experience. It is important to act on your thoughts. Do not wait for the right moment to pursue your goals. The best way to learn is through practice and gain experience. When something does not work as planned, you pivot and implement strategies that keep you moving forward”
And no matter what stage of life you are in, she believes you should take advantage of the people and resources around you: your community. Nurture it, support it, ask questions and stay connected.
As Chanelle reflects on her journey in STEM, she credits her community as the key reason she has come this far.
We asked Chanelle, what does “still becoming” mean to you right now in your life and career?
Chanelle reflected on post-grad life and the freedom that comes with no longer relying on school routines and structure. She has entered a season of defining her own rhythm and recognizes that she is becoming the blueprint for the younger generation watching her grow. She continues to expand her design business, work as a founding designer at a tech startup, and building a career that reflects her creativity and vision.
She added that while this stage feels liberating, it is also a time of discovery, learning what works for her, defining her non-negotiables, recognizing what she needs to unlearn, and being more intentional about how she shows up for herself and for the community that benefits from her talent.
When she thinks about still becoming, she defines it as “actively becoming the woman she wants to be, a daily practice that requires [her] to get uncomfortable and push through uncertainty.”
For Chanelle, becoming is not a destination she will arrive at, it is a continuous process. And she is just getting started.
This is Chanelle Abankwah, and this is her story of becoming.
