Cohort Stories: Meet Sara M.
vol. 5, no. 77 — guest post by Sara Miranda
As I took my last semester of classes as an undergraduate student studying political science, I thought it would be wise to take a course that could give me some technical skills to bring to my first job out of college. That ended up being a database and data mining course where I learned my first two programming languages, Python and SQL. I never considered myself to be strong in STEM subjects, but I also had never given myself the opportunity to try. I did really well in that class, and it gave me the confidence explore this discipline more. This was my first milestone on my journey to Hack.Diversity. Since then, each semester that I complete my computer science and math courses feels like a milestone for me.
Whether it’s receiving a good grade on a quiz or successfully running a program I’ve been working on for days, my small successes feel like milestones.
I never thought that I could learn multiple programming languages, comprehend advanced math course, or work towards a computer science degree, especially while working full time. On the days when I have self-doubt about my abilities, I remind myself of the knowledge and skill set I have now compared to just a few short years ago. The process of applying, interviewing, and being offered the Hack.Diversity Fellowship is certainly my biggest milestone to date on my path to a career in technology.
My journey to where I am now proves that you never know where life will take you. There have been times where I thought I would be a lawyer, a policy maker, or even an artist! I have had a lot of interests with no clear path forward. However, one thing I did know is that I love to learn and create, and that is what lead me to starting a degree in a discipline that I would never have guessed for myself — computer science. What drew me to it was the challenge of studying something I had zero experience in. I’ve stayed on this career path because I found that coding satisfied my creative itch, which is something that I have been looking for in a career.
I fell in love with building something out of nothing and being able to apply my love for digital design.
Many people don’t see the creative side of technology, but this aspect of the discipline fascinates me. I can’t wait to explore it more as I enter the technology field.
I was initially drawn to Hack.Diversity for the mentorship and internship components of the program. As a student who works full time, I knew that my work obligations would cause me to miss out on those aspects of a traditional undergraduate education. A program like Hack.Diversity that would provide me with the guidance to interview for and work in a technology internship is something I need to gain the confidence to start a career in technology. I am excited to finally apply what I have learned in the classroom to real-life work. More than that, I am looking forward to being a part of a diverse community of people who also want to start or progress in their careers in technology. I haven’t always felt like I fit in with my classmates being a Latina woman and an administrative professional looking to switch careers.
My story is a bit untraditional, but Hack.Diversity accepts that and acknowledges how diverse perspectives can contribute positively to a community.
