Cohort Stories: Meet Violette
vol. 4, no. 65 — guest post by Violette Similien Volodkevich
As a young girl from a village back in Haiti, I did not have access to a private computer. I used to pay per hour at a cyber cafe to be able to use a computer. I was amazed my first time using the internet while chatting with friends on Yahoo Messenger. I became curious about the software used in computers. However, my journey to become a software programmer was not easy.
I moved from Haiti in 2013, and was a single mother with a thick accent, trying to get a job to survive and take care of my son. The idea of becoming a software engineer or getting a computer science degree was way above me. While working as a bilingual customer service at a call center, I was bullied every day by customers due to my accent. I decided to go to college in order to get a better job.
I started college as a Business Management major. While going to school and working as a customer service representative, my co-workers and I would often complain about software update problems. [My initial curiosity about computer software returned. However, I still had a fear that as a single mother with a thick Haitian accent, it was too big of a dream for me.] However, with the encouragement of some friends working within the industry, I left business management school and started my journey at Quincy Community College, where I studied programming. I am graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from one of the best universities in the nation and plan to start my professional journey as a software engineer.
I know that no matter what sector I end up in, I will make an impact and achieve my dream of challenging myself and growing within this field.
I heard of Hack. Diversity through my classmates. When I went to their website, I saw the spotlight and testimony of the previous fellows, which inspired me to apply. I believe I will start my tech career with Hack.Diversity this year and continue to grow. One of the things I learned about the tech industry is that you never stop learning. Therefore, I am planning to apply for a Master’s program while working next year.
As a mother, I am motivated by my son, whom I want to show that there is no dream too big and never to allow anyone to hinder him from pursuing his dreams. One of my goals is to get a full-time software development job and work my way to a management position. I wish to develop more skills and grow during my time at Hack.Diversity.
