The latest articles on DEV Community by Suzie Randall (@suzie_randall). https://dev.to/suzie_randall https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F143552%2Fd34d2f32-f609-4256-8496-389020b348d4.jpg https://dev.to/suzie_randall en Suzie Randall Sat, 09 Mar 2019 00:11:16 +0000 https://dev.to/suzie_randall/nevertheless-suzie-coded--1f00 https://dev.to/suzie_randall/nevertheless-suzie-coded--1f00 <h2> I started/continued to code in 2019 because... </h2> <p>Coding is undoubtedly rewarding. </p> <p>On the best days, I grow exponentially and achieve more than I thought I was capable of. </p> <p>On the worst days, when my brain has been left somewhere, there are still rewards to be found in small tasks or a spot of therapeutic refactoring!</p> <p>The people make it rewarding too. </p> <p>I love the rapport with team mates, the humour and creativity, the knowledge sharing and the mutual support. </p> <p>I love feeling like a part of the wider community, being inspired by others, discovering new ideas through their passions and adding my own small contributions to try and give back (or pay it forward). </p> <p>It all gives me a sense of purposeful belonging and encourages me to grow.</p> <h2> I hope to see my school/work/developer/tech community... </h2> <p>Let your experiences help you to become the positive example that someone else needs.</p> <p>I have had a very fortunate journey. As an undergrad, my peer group was unusually diverse which led to a culture of inclusivity and shared insight.</p> <p>I've worked in dev teams where the women outnumbered the men and in teams where I was the only female. I've never felt that my gender defined me and I feel blessed that my experiences have been so positive.</p> <p>We are all individuals though and gender aside, we all have traits that can make us feel different to the crowd. </p> <p>Our experiences of feeling different can help us to develop empathy towards others and help us step up to become the mentor/colleague/friend that we would love to have ourselves.</p> <p>We're all human and we all have our insecurities. Keep being you, be brave, be inclusive and be the positive example that someone else needs.</p> wecoded