My story...
My love of video games growing up created this sense of curiosity in me about how things worked behind the scenes and what made things tick. It was also during my childhood that I got my first real coding experience. I had to program a simple animation and create a website for a class back in middle school, which I remember being insanely excited about at the time. I finally got to create something from the ground up and I loved that feeling.
Once I got to college however, I felt lost with what I wanted to do with my life. I was very indecisive and wound up switching my major around a lot, but nothing I chose ever really felt right. I decided to pursue programming as a career choice after taking a beginner programming class there. I finally felt like I found something that allowed me to combine my love of problem solving and creativity, and things kind of just fell into place.
I'm currently working with...
Currently I'm working as a Software Developer for a co-op and so I'm in the process of finishing up school and transitioning into the industry. I'm working on data science/analysis related projects so far. I've also been learning about a lot of different Python frameworks and libraries involved with it, which has been a very cool experience.
I'm excited about...
Data science! Due to my recent exposure to it, I've become incredibly interested in the data science world and machine learning. I never realized how many different kinds of tools/software and Python frameworks are out there for use in it, and I feel like the possibilities for learning are endless (which is something I love about coding in general). It's an industry that I'd love to work in and gain more experience with in the future.
My advice for other women who code is...
Take time for yourself when you need it and remember self care. It's so easy to overwork yourself, get burnt out and lose track of taking care of yourself and listening to what your body needs. I feel like it's crucial for your mental health and overall well being.
My overall advice is, keep persisting no matter what. The coding and computer science world can be an intimidating one. It's easy to become disillusioned, especially when you feel like the odds are stacked against you, but don't give up. I know how real imposter syndrome can be, but try not to let it get to you. There is a big learning curve and everybody got their start somewhere, but what matters is you keep trying, learning and growing.
As women who code and women who are in the tech industry in general, we're already defying the odds and I think that's something to be proud of. Keep doing what you love and if you have that fire in you, don't let anyone or anything extinguish it.
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