"Uncommon didn't just teach us technical skills, it transformed the way we think."

That's Charlotte Ncube, speaking on behalf of her graduating class at the Vincent Bohlen Innovation Hub in Victoria Falls. She and her classmates just completed something remarkable: a 12-month journey from complete beginners to employed tech professionals.

They celebrated their graduation. But the real celebration happened months ago, when employers started calling.

Sarah from the Grace Foundation came to the Vincent Bohlen Innovation Hub graduation ceremony with a story. Her organization planned to hire one intern from Uncommon. Just one.

Then the interviews happened.

"We were so impressed by how these students presented their ideas," she said. "We ended up taking two."

Both interns completed their probation periods. Both are now full-time employees.

Sarah credited the partnership's success to a shared mission: "We're both chasing the same fundamental goals, empowerment and impact."

John from ZIMWOX told the graduates something similar: "You achieved this despite the challenges, the bugs, the errors, the sleepless nights. Abundant opportunities are waiting for dedicated, hard-working people like you. Step into the industry with confidence."

These aren't polite speeches. These are employers who hired Uncommon graduates and came back to say thank you.

Sharyn Found Her Path

Sharyn Machesi discovered something during the 12-month tech bootcamp. She came in curious about software development. She explored digital marketing. But somewhere along the way, she found her calling.

"I can now proudly say I am a product designer," she told the crowd. "Uncommon gave me the space and confidence to explore who I could become."

She thanked her instructors directly: "You didn't just teach me. You helped shape the person and designer I am becoming."

That's the point. Not just about learning to code, but discovering what you're capable of and becoming someone who can build their own future.

What Charlotte told her classmates

Charlotte's speech captured what made this cohort special:

"Today isn't just about celebrating certificates—it's about celebrating the journey that brought us here. We learned resilience through late-night debugging sessions. We learned empathy and collaboration by teaching Scratch to primary school kids. We learned confidence by overcoming challenges we once thought were impossible.

We're grateful to our mentors for believing in us more than we believed in ourselves, and to each other for the shared triumphs. We leave here not just as coders and designers, but as problem-solvers ready to build a remarkable future."

The Vincent Bohlen Innovation Hub sits in Victoria Falls, built from repurposed shipping containers and powered by solar energy. It's designed to bring tech education directly into the communities that need it most.

This was the hub's first graduation. It won't be the last.