I began coding because...

I began coding when I was in college; I never took a computer class until college, because they simply weren't offered where I grew up. I took a few beginner's courses and started learning C++ (don't ask me to code in it today).

After graduating, I kept making small things on nights and weekends even as I moved into another industry: advertising. While I loved my job, I kept drifting back to development - I'd get into the code base during a web project, or write a small app at my desk at 8:00p. Solving a problem and creating something from scratch was a lot of fun. Eventually, Code Fellows provided me with the opportunity to change careers, and now I'm a front-end developer.

I'm currently hacking on...

A new Javascript portfolio, and an app that uses the Strava API to pull data about my runs.

I'm excited about...

Breaking into React - I've only done smaller web apps with it, and can't wait to use it on a larger scale.

My advice for other women who code is...

Keep writing code for projects that you find interesting, and build a community of friends who feel the same way. I would be lost without my friends who also code and have helped me navigate through hard situations and changes. A strong community of people who understand what you do and why you do it is essential.