I took my first computer science course during my undergrad. It was CS101
and taught C++. I liked it a lot. However, it was difficult for me to pick up as my first
introductory language.
I spent a lot of time in my professor's office asking questions and
he convinced me that it probably wasn't something that was for me. He didn't support me
while I was struggling to learn and really believed him when he indirectly suggested that
I'm not going to be able to do it. So I didn't enroll in the next class.
My experience with CS was swept under the rug until after graduating with a master's in
fashion and brand management
and I ended up doing some consulting in branding for an APP that taught children how to code.
I had to learn the product to help the team and found it really fascinating.
Once I moved back to the states, I was having problems finding a job. I started learning to code
as a hobby and after researching about it more realized I could do it full time and it was not
going to be at all like my first experience in college because there are all kinds of jobs and
languages to choose from.
From there, I enrolled in a bootcamp and one thing led to another and
now I'm a full time developer!
I am currently a Javascript developer that works mostly in Angular. After work
I am enrolled in a cybersecurity engineering program at GWU.
I think my first application was just a simple game.
I am proud of every project! Even the easy ones! They all involved some struggle or
frustration that led to new skills.
I don't have any concrete goals because plans are alway changing in better
ways than we can imagine. However, I do know that I want to bring more of a voice to the
community for anyone who identifies as a women in tech. People really try to put us in a
box - that we can only be one thing. But I have met so many women who are so much more
than the code they write. They are dancers, writers, singers, artists, models, etc.
and they are all amazing.
As previously mentioned, I am constantly being put in a box. So many are. Besides tech,
I also model. I really appreciate and love my body and I constantly get messages shaming me for it.
People call me vulgar names and sending me paragraphs try to tear me down. In the beginning
it was hard not to keep my confidence from breaking but it has made me so much stronger.
I'm grateful for it now. I realize these people are only projecting their own issues onto me
and I feel sorry for them embarrassing themselves like that.
Invest in yourself. It is always worth it. I questioned so many times if I really want to
spend the time or money to further develop myself but never once have I regretted it.
