September Spotlight On… Haley Demos!
Haley Demos is a Junior Full Stack Developer at NoiseAware and a super active member of Women Who Code Dallas/Ft. Worth. You can usually find Haley welcoming new members at our events all over the metroplex. Seriously, whenever we need a volunteer, Haley is the first to raise her hand! Her work ethic and dedication to the field are inspiring. She speaks below about how WWCode DFW helped her, but now she gets to be one of those members who leads the way to success.
How did you get into your field?
I have always had an eye for design growing up with a father who was both an artist and architect. After falling in love with game programming and design I decided to pursue a position in tech and besides a class in college, am completely self taught. After working on a production support team for service integration I realized not all programming jobs peak my interest. I took a position as a full-stack developer trainer and decided to expand my knowledge.
While training full-time, I participated in Women Who Code events and worked adhoc on Udacity courses to test my interests. Through the encouragement and strong community in WWCode, I was able to find an amazing opportunity at a growing startup!
What made you want to join Women Who Code?
I ventured to a WWCode meetup not only because if the topic, but because it is so hard to find women to relate to in my field. In both of my previous positions, I didn’t have any technical female coworkers.
What is something you’ve accomplished recently that made you proud?
My new job and first official deployment! Thanks to this phenomenal network I was not only kept motivated to work toward my dream of developing, I was able to get my new startup job. In the first week I was able to build and deploy my first job-related piece of code and help the rental community rent more responsibly!
What do you do when you’re not coding/working?
I like to spend time with my pup and play music! I actually write and record music as well. I use it as a release and process my day. Music can say more than words. I advocate in all areas of my life just like participating in WWCode DFW. I try to encourage everyone to share their stories and speak their truth. We are alike than different.
What motivates you? What gets you out of bed in the morning?
Making a difference. It sounds simple and cliche, but this is the theme i carry throughout all aspects of my life. Whether I am coding my next feature to help vacation rentals rent responsibly at NoiseAware, running a 5k to raise awareness for domestic abuse, or writing music to encourage us to continue through our hardest moments, it all comes back to that phrase.
What’s next for you? What are your goals?
I hope to continue learning and growing. I aim to improve my React skills and accessibility design knowledge. Speaking at a conference is definitely on my 3 year plan and I would love to start my own company some day.
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We are so honored to have Haley as a member. Her warm, inviting personality is perfect for helping out at all our events and making sure each first timer feels welcome. She has so much ahead of her, we can tell! If she can accomplish this much in such a short period of time, imagine where she will be in 10 years!
Thank you to every single WWCode volunteer down to the member. You helped me realize I DO belong!
