From Entrepreneur to Developer?
For as much as I believed that Hackbright was out of my reach, in words of Paulo Coelho, “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
Can’t I just make my own app? That was the question I posed to myself after I started using a third party app for the dog walking business I founded back in 2015. Prior to starting the business, I worked in banking and inspired by the number of entrepreneurial clients we serviced I followed my entrepreneurial dreams. Little did I know that I would soon go from entrepreneur to aspiring software developer.
Initially, I learned to code with the hope of coding an app for my business. However, after a couple months of Code Academy’s tutorials I started to spend more and more time continuing my programming education. A year after tinkering with Free Code Camp and subsequently enrolling in an introductory C++ course at a community college, I had a talk with myself. You know, one of those, what do I really want in life, kind of conversations.
Why I want to build software
- Love numbers: I have forever loved numbers and logic. I went in finance with the hope of breaking into investment banking only because I loved building financial models on Excel. If only I had learned about programming then, since programming is like Excel on steroids.
- Love to solve puzzles: Programming gives side to my creative side. When I took the C++ course I really enjoyed figuring how to use the conceps I learned in class to write a mini calculator. Also, there is something magical about typing code and seeing your output on the screen, no?
- A forever student: My second love after programming is reading, mostly historical fiction and self-help books (yes, I hear ya… judging the self-help -_-). I particularly lean on books because I find that they help me to develop and grow as a person. In my intellectual pursuits, I operate much the same way. Given that developer tools and technology itself is constantly changing, I know that I will be a forever student of programming. I like it that way!
In the middle of 2015, I made the decision that I would start looking at programming bootcamps or possibly going back to a university for a degree in computer science. My very traditional mother kept twisting my arm to go back to school and I finally decided to take a step forward towards a university program. Little did I know that soon I would meet someone that would charm my heart and bring me to California.
From Maryland to Stanford
Exactly a year ago, I came to San Francisco for the first time and I fell in love with the city and one of it’s residents. I recall trying to go to every single Meetup event that week and often trying to connect with the programmers I met during the networking events. I distinctly remember Jen (not her real name, ah, I wish I had written it down). I told her how I had been teaching myself to program and felt that I was not making much progress. By then, I knew I wanted to become a software developer, but I had no idea how. Jen told me she had attended Hackbright Academy, an all women’s programming bootcamp in San Francisco. She talked about the supportive environment, top-notch curriculum, and the alumni network. Jen’s boss joined us at the table and raved about Hackbright too!
As excited as I was to attend a program like Hackbright, I quickly filed that option away. I could not afford the tuition, much less the cost of living in the most expensive city in the United States. Months later, my boyfriend convinced me to take a leap of faith and before I knew it, my pet bunny and I hit the road for a cross country trip from Maryland to Stanford (my boyfriend is a student there).
Before moving from Maryland to Stanford my plan was to take all of the pre-requesites of a CS major online and apply to a graduate program to be a “real” programmer later on. I now know that programmers come from all walks of life, with PhDs, coding bootcamps, and even purely self-taught folks. There were days where I learned quite a lot, and there also stretches of weeks where life happened (work, family, a marathon…of Netflix shows). Every couple of days, I would read articles about bootcamp graduates making the transition but I would tell myself that it was not an option I could afford. Best to file it away, yet again.
Two kind people ❤
During the course of my time in Stanford, I met two amazing people who encouraged me to apply to coding bootcamps, particularly Hackbright. In moments of doubt, they cheered me on and lifted my spirits. Before I knew, I submitted my application to Hackbright in January. I worked on the code challenge for days on end because it had to be perfect. I practiced for my video interview with my friends, my boyfriend, and even my bunny. Weeks later, I found out I had been accepted. For as much as I believed that Hackbright was out of my reach, in words of Paulo Coelho, “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
I am now embarking on a different journey. I am ready !
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