In our ongoing audio series, Meet the Labbers, we hear people from all roles across the Media Lab talk about what they do and why they do it.

Today, meet Abisola Okuk and hear thoughts on Scratch. Its 10th anniversary is being celebrated at Scratch Day at the Media Lab on May 6. 

"So, my name is Abisola Okuk. I'm from the city of Lagos in Nigeria, and I am the administrative assistant for the Lifelong Kindergarten group.

You know at the Media Lab we have this short summary for every group? At the Lifelong Kindergarten, it is how to engage people in creative learning. And, one such project is Scratch, that amazing programming language for kids—that helps kids create their own games, tell their own stories, make their own animations. There is also an online community where kids across the world can, you know, share their own projects, work on each other’s projects. It's helping kids to learn from one another. And I think what touches me most about Scratch is just the amazing ways that these kids express themselves. It is absolutely mind-blowing.

It's more than nine-to-five for me. It's charged with a lot of positive energy.

I think that the Media Lab is this magical space where my team is not only amazing; they're supportive of me. And there is so much creativity in the atmosphere—you just want to be there. Like, the space is uplifting, the space motivates you to be a better person, to bring out the best in you. And then there's so many kinds of disciplines, different kinds of people from different backgrounds, orientations, countries, races. Like, it's amazing. It's more than nine-to-five for me. It's charged with a lot of positive energy and that is turning me around—that is very important to me.”   

Music: “Love Wins” by Lee Rosevere