Cohort Stories: Meet Samantha
vol. 6, no. 112 — guest post by Samantha Ipojuca
The aspect of my identity that I am proudest of is my drive to learn. This drive allows me to be open, and to be a risk-taker who likes a challenge. Growing up, this aspect of my character propelled me to learn numerous skills. I taught myself to read in Portuguese, how to play the guitar, and tested my physical prowess by playing a variety of different sports. Being open also allowed me to expand my horizons and have no preconceived notions. This aspect is most evident in my zeal to taste unique dishes from around the world. This drive to learn, combined with my openness is what led me to teach myself coding. From the research that I have done, I knew it would be hard but it would not be impossible to learn, and I happily took the challenge head-on.
My interest in technology began in the early 2000s thanks to the addicting gameplay of “The Sims” and other games such as Microsoft 3Dpinball.
I was also using social media like Myspace and Facebook to talk to my friends and family online. I vividly remember unknowingly using HTML to change the layouts of my Myspace profile.
Furthermore, my friends and I would communicate through AOL or Yahoo instant message, since video chat was non-existent at the time. I even remember traveling to South America and being excited to use the public computers in internet cafés before I had a cellphone!
I envision my time at Hack.Diversity to be a transformative experience in which I am supported towards my career goals, and I am guided to find what field suits me best with their matching program. I also believe that being in the fellowship program will support me by broadening my network by connecting with other fellows, mentors, and staff. Additionally, Hack adding workshop sessions, resume building, and contributing to group presentations, will strengthen my skills to prepare me for when I apply and interview for positions.
