Natalie Niehaus 🇺🇸

“After working in retail for many years, my husband and I were in a car accident that left him permanently disabled. When life deals a bad hand, there aren't a lot of options but to push harder or give up. I decided to push harder and changed careers. I needed something that could provide for us and our young son. But I didn't have a degree. So, I began pursuing IT certifications. I passed the A+ and landed a job at a Helpdesk. I've been there for about 18 months and am now pursuing a degree in Cyber Security. However, the leap from Helpdesk to Security is impossible without experience, certifications, and degrees. I started working with sites to learn ethical hacking, but they required coding experience, which I did not have -- dead end. While studying for the Security+, I saw an ad for SheCodes on YouTube. It sounded too good to be true, so I did some digging. Sure enough, it was legit and had awesome ratings! Then, I nervously asked my husband, "Do you mind if I pay for an online coding class that may or may be a scam??" haha And he said yes! That leads me to now! I just finished the final project and feel SO much more confident. I have programming classes required for my major, which I start next week, and now I'm prepared to take them on. I have even gone so far as to reach out and start networking with jobs in app development, system operations, and internal security. If there is someone out there who isn't sure, I would say this: Grab life by the reins and MAKE IT HAPPEN! SheCodes is a perfect place to start! Matt is an excellent teacher, and the structure is well laid out and very easy to learn. Go out there and get it, girl, because you deserve this!”