George-Brent Vershiyi: The young disruptor whose legacy at Open Dreams led to a transformation
- Open Dreams
- 9 hours ago
- 4 min read
In October 2021, Open Dreams witnessed something extraordinary. On a very special appointment, George-Brent Vershiyi, a then 13-year-old Form 4 student from Franky Academy Complex in Yaoundé, walked into the Open Dreams Center in Yaoundé and stunned everyone. Without any formal training in electronics, the Internet of Things (IoT), or Artificial Intelligence (AI), fields rarely taught in high schools, George successfully flew a drone in Australia from Cameroon, using AI and the Internet of Things (IoT).
From his keyboard, connected to a self-configured circuit board featuring diodes, resistors, and capacitorsthat he constantly repositioned to achieve the intended outcomes in real time, George maneuvered the drone from takeoff to a smooth cruise and a safe landing. Two Professors at the University of Melbourne, Australia, were live broadcasting "satellite" images of the test flight, while engineering students at Open Dreams watched in amazement. Even after initial failed attempts that required him to dismantle and rebuild the setup, George persisted, totally dismantling his connections and setting them up again, until he successfully flew the drone.
Recognizing his uncommon ingenuity, Open Dreams, in synch with the TiC Foundation, immediately placed him under mentorship with the TiC Foundation at Technipole Polytechnic, Yaoundé. There, George-Brent not only advanced his projects but also continued to occasionally deliver practical sessions for Polytechnic students under his own initiative, Vershiyi Tech. In 2022, he went on to win first place at the Annual National TiC Competition in Yaoundé.
George’s journey then took a global turn. As part of the Open Dreams Ecosystem and after months of a rigorous application process, he emerged as one of the 2023 Global Rise Winners, the second from Cameroon ever. This big win saw him traveling to the UK for orientation. Today, George-Brent is a freshman at Hamilton College in the U.S.A., where his epic Technovation journey continues. Like all Open Dreams Scholars, we are so hopeful about the future and the potential each scholar holds.
George-Brent's story also reshaped Open Dreams. Inspired by George’s creativity and the frequent requests from parents for opportunities for younger talent, Open Dreams revised its policies to integrate gifted students earlier in the academic mentorship program. This led to the birth of the Open Dreams College Orientation Program (ODCOP), which welcomes talented students as early as Form 4–5 (Grade 9–10) or just after the GCE Ordinary Level (Grade 10+). Previously, only students who had completed Lower Sixth were eligible (Grade 11 equivalent). Alongside other flagship programs such as the Open Dreams Summer Academy (ODSA) and the Open Dreams Graduate Summit (ODGS), ODCOP now nurtures the next generation of disruptors from a younger age - from the base.
George-Brent himself even became a mentor, providing guidance to 11-year-old Eboua Faissa from E-Learning Village in Manengouba, who has distinguished himself in the area of coding, working on digitalizing some indigenous languages and easing their translation to other more widely spoken languages.
George’s talent was further spotlighted at the 2021 Instructional Technology Project Launch at Polytechnic Yaoundé, sponsored by the U.S. Embassy and implemented by Open Dreams. In front of over 60 educators at the launching of the program, his demonstration underscored a powerful truth: today’s children may already be running faster than their teachers. His story became a strong case for professional development and lifelong learning for educators to keep pace with their students’ evolving needs.
George-Brent with TechGirl Britney Ketuma and the Chief of the Open Dreams Digital Center, and lead at Skolarr, Moses Afopezi. On this day at the Open Dreams Center in Yaounde, Britney shared her TechGirls experience at Virginia Tech - USA, while George-Brent shared his UK Rise-Orientation experiences
From Franky Academic Complex in Yaoundé to a global stage, George-Brent Vershiyi is living proof that talent, when nurtured early, can transform not just individual lives but entire systems of learning.
This year, 2025, the Open Dreams College Orientation Program, ODCOP2025, took place from August 29th to 30th, 2025, on the campus of the Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (FMBS) of the University of Yaoundé I, thanks to the logistic coordination of Dr. Karen Essiane Davide and Dr. Sidiki Mbinyui. The exceptionally stimulating and motivating program was conceived and led by our General Affairs Program Lead, Seka Jean-Blaise, assisted by Nelson Kamdoum Fodjo and dozens of Open Dreams Scholars and volunteers. The Open Dreams Graduate Summit and the Open Dreams College Orientation Program ran concurrently at different sections of the FMBS Campus.
2025 is the first year in which the Open Dreams College Orientation Program (ODCOP) and the Open Dreams Graduate Summit (ODGS) were organized to run on the same dates in different halls. The theme for this year for both programs was "Spare No Opportunity. It Pays to Apply"
....
Open Dreams