My Story: Latina Tech Mom

My Story: Latina Tech Mom

Today, I'm connecting my building blocks for backend web development, going over which pieces go where when building an application. A post is created, and each post has a unique id, the post is tied to a document in a collection, which I can use all the data to build on a specific page.

I'm trying hard to concentrate on my work, but I can't remember if I need to wash my oldest daughter's volleyball uniform, if it's my turn to take my middle child to gymnastics, or if my youngest has football practice today. I push these thoughts to the backend, when I hear the familiar ping from my calendar - it's time for my weekly study session.

Hola! My name is Martha and I'm excited to share my story with you. I am a proud Latina mom who is currently learning how to code on my days off. With three kiddos (V is twelve years old, X is ten, and S is 8) and a husband, I have a lot on my plate, but I'm determined to make my dreams a reality.

Career Change?

Last year, I was sitting in a staff meeting (in a dialysis clinic), when our Medical Director challenged us to find a way to help our dialysis patients manage their fluid intake. I had been learning code for some time, taking some of those famous Udemy courses all of us have piled up and never finish. So, when we were presented with this challenge, it was like something clicked. I knew I could build something to help our patients. So, I made the decision to make a career change from Certified Hemodialysis Technician to Software Engineer.

How It's Going

My days have been somewhat of a challenge lately. With birthdays, holidays, and being short-staffed at work, I feel overwhelmed trying to fit in 3-4 hour classes, assignments, networking, group projects, and studying into my free time. But I'm so close to the finish line that quitting is just not an option.

I don't regret my decision. I have learned HTML5, CSS, JavaScript, API's, MongoDB, and more. I have met so many talented, amazing people through my coffee chats. This is only the beginning. So for those parents who are on the same journey, "Si Se Puede!" It Is Possible!