Ashley's SheCodes journey: from teaching art to becoming a senior tech professional at NVIDIA
๐โโ๏ธ Before SheCodes
Hailing from sunny Florida, USA ๐บ๐ธ, Ashley is a creative individual passionate about the unusual and the artistic. In her free time, Ashley immerses herself in the world of video games, a hobby that aligns perfectly with her imaginative nature ๐ฎ. But Ashley's interests are not just digital. She is a proud caretaker of a mini zoo at home, which includes 4 dogs, 2 cats, and several reptiles, reflecting her love for animals and nature.
Before embarking on her coding journey, Ashley was an Art Teacher in middle school, with 7 classes to teach. Her classes covered everything from regular art to digital art. She really got into mixing computer science and art when all her students got PCsย ๐ฉโ๐ป.
โI was a Middle School Art Teacher at a Public School. I taught 7 classes with 50-60 students per class. I ranged my teaching from fine art to digital art, even diving into the intersection of computer science and art in 2020 when all of my students finally had a PC.โ
Her decision to join SheCodes came when she was getting ready for a special program at NYU in XR Development and 3D graphics. She knew a bit about coding from her Myspace days, but she needed to know more about her program. She looked up "coding bootcamps" online and found SheCodes. The fact that it was just for women and had lots of different courses in the coding languages she wanted to learn was the final push she needed to start her coding journey with SheCodes โจ.
๐ฉโ๐ป Her SheCodes Experience
Ashley's journey with SheCodes was filled with support and insights ๐. Her favorite part of the experience was using the Slack channel to ask for help and to help others. This sense of community made a huge difference. She never felt alone or stuck, which was a big reason she chose SheCodes over other online courses. Having help made it easier for her to move forward with her coursework.
โMy favorite thing about my experience with SheCodes was being able to use the Slack Channel to ask for help and/or help my peers. I never felt alone or stuck throughout the program, which is a big reason why I didn't want to take a course on other online companies.โ
A standout moment for Ashley came when she was learning about APIs. At first, they were a puzzle to her. She couldn't figure out what they were for or why they were important. This changed dramatically during the SheCodes Max workshop when it suddenly clicked for her. This realization was a game-changer, making the development of her app much easier and more understandable. ๐
๐ How SheCodes has Helped to Change Her Life
Thanks to her time with SheCodes, Ashley has taken a giant leap in her career. She's now a Senior Developer and Developer Advocate at NVIDIA Omniverse ๐. In this dynamic position, Ashley is responsible for creating samples and conducting workshops to teach external developers about the software. ๐
โI use React and APIs every single day at my job. I am so grateful that I learned this with SheCodes and I am even more grateful I can log in to my SheCodes account - even 2 years later - and rewatch any videos to help remind me of something I may have forgottenโ
The skills Ashley learned at SheCodes, particularly in React and APIs, are essential in her day-to-day work at NVIDIA. The lasting access to SheCodes resources has been a significant benefit, allowing her to revisit lessons whenever she needs a refresher. ๐ Additionally, it was thanks to the portfolio she created during the SheCodes Pro Workshop, that she was accepted into NYU. Later, this same portfolio, caught the eye of her current manager at NVIDIA, leading to her being invited to apply for her current role. ๐ฅ๏ธ
Beyond her professional achievements, Ashley's SheCodes experience has had a ripple effect on her personal life. She has passed on her coding knowledge to her son, helping him with his programming classes. Her enthusiasm for coding has led her to discuss starting a Girls Who Codes chapter at her local library's teen program, aiming to inspire the next generation. ๐
โBeing a part of SheCodes has made me feel like I am special. Whenever a friend asks me how I got to where I am, I am excited to share with them that I enrolled with SheCodes.โ
Ashley's story is not just about personal success; it's about how learning to code can open doors, inspire others, and create new opportunities.
๐ฉโ๐ผ Advice to Future SheCodes Student
Reflecting on her own experience, Ashley emphasizes the importance of organizing notes effectively. She wishes she had arranged her notes better for later reference as she often found herself losing a lot of time when trying to find a concept or variable sheโd forgotten.
โWhen writing notes, I wish I organized them better to reference later. I often found myself going back into my notes to find a reference to a definition or variable, I could have saved myself so much time if I took those notes on the computer or used sticky notes!โ
The key is to keep these notes well-organized so they can be a quick and reliable resource throughout the learning process and even after the workshops are finished.
โIโm a student at NYU pursuing a program to learn VR development and I needed a crash course in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. SheCodes Basics workshop worked out perfectly and honestly, was way easier than trying to find tutorials on YouTube - I spent 2 weeks learning more with SheCodes than I could have by myself. I am grateful to this amazing workshop.โ
โI built an entire app! 7 weeks ago I couldn't say that and didn't have the slightest idea how. There is no way I could have achieved this through learning on my own and even if I had, it would be following some template instead of creating my own stylized version. I can't believe I have a working app! I can't wait to move onto the Responsive and React workshops to make this even better.โ
โI started with the basics and front-end development workshop, thinking that was all I needed but I am so glad I took the responsive workshop so my website looks great on every device! I am in school to be an XR developer so being able to make my own website and showcase my portfolio to future employers is very important for me.โ
โI'm a working single mom, enrolled in online school full time, with a background in art. I was able to complete all of the SheCodes workshops in 5 months, and I am so happy that I committed my time to the workshops! I am so proud of the work I completed, the apps I built, and all of the connections I made along the way. I cannot wait to take my new skills into the workforce and into my art!โ
