I never thought I would be a software engineer. Growing up in a conservative small town, women grew up to be either a nurse or a teacher and DEFINITELY a mom along the way. I don’t do well with body fluids, so by default, I became a teacher.

I loved (and still love) teaching. I am a true extrovert, so being around people all the time was energizing, and I felt like I was contributing to society to make the world a better place. I taught at a small alternative school in Hawaii, was a Peace Corps Volunteer and taught English in the Philippines, and eventually ended up in Denver and helped start a public Montessori secondary school. After a few years, once that school was established and after earning my Masters degree, I moved into an administrative role as the program director. I was attending conferences, presenting professional development, and leading a team of 15 teachers and 150 students. While there were hundreds of moments that fed my soul, I finally found my tipping point and began looking for career options that would be more sustainable in the long-run.

I had many friends who were software engineers. Their jobs seemed monotonous and dry. But, the lifestyle balance and free la croix at work seemed really sexy. I was sure I wouldn’t like it, but I signed up for a Try Turing weekend, JUST to make sure I was sure it was something I didn’t want to do. I could not have been more wrong. All the things I loved about teaching -- collaborating with others, constant problem solving, and creating something from nothing -- were wrapped up in a nice little software engineering package. I was hooked.

As I move forward in this career, it is still important to me to feel like I’m contributing to my community, whether that is just my immediate workplace or an international user base. I want to continue to innovate, be challenged and teach others, and I’m confident software development will deliver all of those things.