The past several months have been a whirlwind, so here’s a short list of personal and professional happenings, in no particular order:
- I passed my 1-year mark as an instructor and developer at Launch Academy, and switched from the virtual team to the on-campus team and back, teaching students from all different backgrounds about web development.
- I campaigned for Democrats in New Hampshire prior to the 2016 election, joined the Boston Women’s March, attended a training on how to lobby for local legislation to force the President to release his tax returns, and made it to Cuba before Trump unveiled his new restrictions on travel there.
- I gave talks at meetups on a range of topics from the wonders of Google Cardboard (see my post on VR) to breaking into tech from a non-traditional background (see my post on that topic).
- I took a course from Sandi Metz, my hero and one of the smartest developers I know. She taught an amazing Object Oriented Design class in New York City this past fall. I highly recommend taking her future courses if you can.
- I met James Taylor, famous singer-songwriter, and Cecile Richards, the CEO of Planned Parenthood, while my twin sister met Hayden Christensen and other Star Wars actors. Be jealous. Be very jealous. (And donate to PP, y’all!)
- I joined Girl Develop It Boston’s Leadership Team and have worked with the group to provide affordable opportunities for women to broaden their knowledge about programming languages and frameworks.
- At Boston’s Lady Problems Hackathon, my team and I won an award for the best app incorporating the HERE Maps API. The prize? A Cozmo robot for each team member.
- My sister designed, and I built, this site for our annual April Fool’s joke this year.
- I spent considerable time learning the new React framework, developed by Facebook, as Launch incorporated it into both its front-end and its curriculum.
I have learned an incredible amount, and I’m so grateful for all the fantastic people I’ve gotten to know this year, from friends to mentors to collaborators.
And, in a few short weeks, I will be switching jobs, starting as a software developer at Education First. EF, an international education firm whose North American headquarters is located in Cambridge, aims to foster educational travel opportunities all over the globe. Their mission involves “opening the world through education,” which jives well with my love for cultural exchange. The team I’m joining values learning and collaboration, and I’m so thrilled for this chance to grow.
Onward!
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