From Student Innovator to Accenture Architect

When we give young people the tools to solve problems they care about, we can unlock the self-belief and motivation that helps them shape the future. Savanna’s story shows how a single classroom project can spark a career in technology.

Now an Ecosystem Solution Architect at Accenture, Savanna was first introduced to Apps for Good in 2016. As a student at Elstree UTC at the time, she was still discovering her path: “I had no idea what I wanted to go into. I don't think I'd really thought about what to do next that much.”

Alongside her teammate Kirsty, Savanna developed an education app designed to support English Literature revision. The app allowed students to scan book pages and instantly save quotes for essays - a tool born directly from their own needs as students.

Reflecting on the creative process, Savanna shares, “I think coming up with the idea is probably the part of the process we enjoyed the most, because you feel a bit more ownership over it. It’s nice to feel like it's something that you are responsible for.”

As part of their Apps for Good experience, Savanna and Kirsty had the opportunity to pitch their idea to Industry Volunteers at the Salesforce Tower. Beyond the feedback they received, it was a chance encounter that proved pivotal in Savanna’s career journey.

Savanna and Kirsty won the ‘Information’ category at the 2017 Apps for Good Awards. At that time, the prize was to work with professional designers and developers to bring their prototype to life. This experience gave them an insight into what working in a digital technology environment was like:

• “We were having to prepare for those calls and make sure we went through the agenda, make sure we were communicating what we wanted to be happening with the app... That was all very real-world.”

• “We created a prototype, thinking about UI and UX design. We learned a little bit about search engine optimisation and how to market the app.”

Taking part in Apps for Good gave Savanna greater clarity about her future career aspirations: “It framed the industry in a much better light, in a light where there was a lot more opportunity than I thought. We met people in all different roles as well... I don't know how I would have got that at school.”

Seven years into a successful career at Accenture, Savanna still draws on her Apps for Good experience. From providing talking points in her initial job interviews to founding her own hiking club, Gander.GPX, the sense of agency she gained remains central to her life.