Meet Selma Shaanika the new WIS Technology & Systems Administrator

Congratulations on your appointment as the new Technology Support Administrator for WIS! Please tell us about yourself.

I am an IT professional who gets satisfaction from knowing that my colleagues are able to do their jobs because I have done mine well. I am a mother, an aunt, a sister, a daughter, and a friend.

Could you tell us a little about your prior professional experience, and about your approach to technology?

I have been working in IT for over a decade and have experience in Monitoring, Maintenance, Configuration, and Administration of IT Systems and Network. Before joining WIS, I worked as a Systems Management Specialist for CDC Namibia, an agency under the US Embassy.Technology is here to enhance and simplify the way we work and we have to embrace it. As an IT professional, I have to constantly keep learning as technology keeps changing and implementing the technologies that apply to the industry I work in.

People often like to know the academic and professional qualifications of staff at WIS. What and where have you studied? 

I did my undergraduate studies at the then Polytechnic of Namibia (now NUST) where I obtained a Diploma in IT, Bachelor of Technology in Business Computing, as well as an Honors Degree in Business Informatics. My postgraduate was with the University of Pretoria where I completed a Master of Science in Project Management. I have also done various IT short Courses in areas such as IT Governance, Networking, Cybersecurity, and IT Management. 

Please tell us about your family. What do you do when you aren’t working? What do you do for fun? 

I am a mother to 2 beautiful children; Sophie (9 years old) and Sage (19 months). When I am not working or being a mother, I am on the streets either running or serving runners. I am a social runner and a member of the Windhoek City Runners Club, a social running club based in Windhoek.

What are you most looking forward to in this role at WIS? 

I am looking forward to embracing the new experience as well as working with and collaborating with the WIS community to enhance the use of Technology for learning.