Happy International Women’s Day, everyone! ♀
What better way to celebrate International Women’s Day in the Codecademy community than by recognizing the very women who’ve helped build this community?
Join me in reading a few snippets from stories shared by women leading the Codecademy community. They highlight what it’s like being a woman technologist and a community builder, and how their involvement is helping to shape the future of tech for generations to come.
“As a woman in tech and someone who started coding later in life than most of my peers, I definitely doubted myself at times. But as I continue to build mobile apps for fun side projects, work alongside many wonderful women in tech, and meet supportive people from different technical backgrounds in the Codecademy community and at work, my confidence and sense of belonging have grown a ton!
One of my favorite parts of working in the tech industry is being part of a team. Whether it’s code reviews, project planning, or debugging, collaborating with others to reach our end goal together fosters a sense of community that brings all-around joy. Nothing beats the exhilarating feeling of getting to code every day alongside those who love it just as much as I do.”
— Maggie, leader of the Interviews and Apps NY chapter and software engineer at Cisco
“It’s an exciting time to be a woman in tech! Not only is education more accessible, but there are also communities of strong women popping up in every tech space, from web development and data science to decentralized finance in crypto. I’ve felt so welcomed by everyone in the Codecademy community, especially the other lady chapter leaders I’ve worked with — we lift each other up and always support one another’s events/ideas. Happy International Women’s Day!”
— Mackenzie, leader of the Phoenix Crypto chapter and accountant at Honeywell
“I was born and raised in the Caribbean. I was educated there, in the USA, and the UK. I had a decade-long career in the real estate and construction industry. Since leaving in 2015, I have been lecturing and teaching entrepreneurship and more recently, blockchain, across the developing world in high schools and universities. My interest in blockchain technology started after I realised the power of this technology to transform countries with emerging markets. My tech passions lie at the intersection of entrepreneurship, emerging markets, and web 3.0.
I joined Codecademy recently to build my tech skills and to learn and grow within a community environment. Long-term, I would like to become a blockchain architect/developer. I am very excited about the future of this space and my role in encouraging women to get involved in tech as there are so many opportunities waiting for us all!”
— Joann, leader of the Shanghai Blockchain chapter and high school and university lecturer
“The internet culture available for people learning and working in tech, such as sites like the Codecademy community, Stack Overflow, and Reddit, are so friendly and helpful to newcomers. This is especially true for those folks who may not have previously felt welcomed in tech. To be sure, there is still a lot of work to be done before we reach gender parity, but I am excited to be participating in that work that needs to be done to get us there.”
— Julia, leader of the Detroit chapter and business analyst at Autobooks
“I hope that, as a female leader in the Codecademy community, my contributions inspire women to engage in the tech world and feel that it is a place in which they belong. It has been gratifying to see other women learning to code, participating in technical discussions, and sharing their learning journeys. As a student building out a future in tech, it has been helpful to have female role models and mentors in tech roles. I believe it is vital to expose young women like myself to the world of tech, as well as create more inclusive environments in which women thrive, to increase gender diversity in the tech industry and empower current and future women innovators.”
— Victoria, a superuser in the Codecademy Forums and student
“Female representation in technology is vital. For that very reason, organizations like Girls Who Code and Women Who Code are so important to promote and uplift girls and women seeking opportunities in tech. I had many women (and men) who supported me and mentored me in my career — and still do! And for that, I’m very grateful.
I subscribe to the philosophy of ‘paying it forward’. If you can help someone else, then do it. I am happy to be part of this community of kind and smart technologists, and happy to be able to offer help to anyone who needs it.”
— Lisa, a superuser in the Codecademy Forums and co-leader of the NYC chapter
