Michelle

Meet Michelle 🇺🇸, a passionate woman from Maryland who enjoys hiking with her two fur babies and exploring new destinations with her husband, especially when they get lost in the mountains. In her downtime, Michelle loves curling up with a cozy mystery novel or tuning into Hallmark movies for a dose of feel-good warmth. Recently, she’s discovered a love for coding and enjoys diving into the world of tech as a new hobby!

Before embarking on her coding journey, Michelle’s life took a turn when she returned home from overseas to care for her mother. This experience made her rethink her priorities and look for a career that would allow her to be more present for the important moments in life.

During this time, Michelle stumbled upon SheCodes while researching Bootcamps in cybersecurity. Although she hadn’t anticipated focusing on coding, our 60-minute Free Coding Class caught her attention. To her surprise, she was able to follow along with ease, and that’s when she knew this was the path for her. 💻

“During this challenging time, I stumbled upon the SheCodes introduction lecture. To my surprise, I found myself able to follow along with Matt's teachings. This discovery motivated me to take a step further and enroll in SheCodes Front-End.”

Michelle's experience with SheCodes has been both rewarding and fulfilling. The hands-on projects were the most exciting part of her journey. She thrives when learning with a hands-on approach, and in just six months, she built an impressive portfolio that she’s incredibly proud of. The progress she made in such a short time was amazing!

For Michelle, the SheCodes Workshops were more than just a learning experience — they offered a much-needed break from the challenges she was facing. While most of her day was spent caring for her mom, coding provided a peaceful escape during quiet moments. Michelle would dive into her projects, finding comfort in the focus and structure of coding. It gave her a sense of control and purpose during a difficult time. 💻 Coding became not just a skill but a form of self-care, empowering her to learn something new while staying close to her family.

“Coding became more than just a skill to learn; it became my method of self-care, empowering me to acquire the knowledge and tools for a new skill and allowing me to support my mom. I would immerse myself in troubleshooting and debugging. It became a solace, a precious escape from the emotional reality of life at that time.”

A special memory for Michelle happened while she was working on her travel page. As she added videos to create a dynamic look for her travel blog, everything started to click. It was then that she truly felt she understood the concepts. At that moment, she realized that coding really could be her happy place, just as Matt always said. 😊

“True to Matt's encouraging mantra of ‘happy coding’, I realized coding truly is a happy place!”

SheCodes has been a game-changer for Michelle, helping her gain the confidence to pursue new career opportunities. After receiving feedback on her portfolio, she decided to apply to a Computer Science Master's program — and was thrilled to be accepted with a generous scholarship! 🎓✨ She credits SheCodes as the key stepping stone toward this exciting new chapter in her life.

“I have a genuine passion for becoming a full-stack developer, and I am eagerly anticipating the exciting journey ahead as I pursue my master's in computer science. The prospect of what lies ahead fills me with enthusiasm and eagerness to embrace new challenges.”

Michelle is also using her coding skills to give back. As a yoga instructor, she supported her mom’s recovery, and now she’s developing a website in React.js offering free video classes for people recovering from surgeries. Her goal is to create a safe and supportive space for those facing similar challenges. ❤️

With her master's on the horizon, Michelle is excited to become a Full-Stack Developer, with a passion for exploring AI and quantum computing. She’s ready to embrace the future with enthusiasm!

Michelle has some valuable advice for future SheCodes students. If she could talk to her past self, she would say, "Take a deep breath and stop doubting yourself." She encourages new students to trust the process and believe in their abilities, especially when facing bugs and challenges. There’s always a light at the end of the tunnel, and each obstacle is an opportunity for growth.

Michelle also finds inspiration in the saying, "Be somebody nobody thought you could be." She advises future students not to let anyone set limits for them and to embrace the journey without fear of failure. According to her, failure is just part of the growth process, and SheCodes pushed her to keep challenging herself and reaching for new goals. 🌟

“I've learned not to be afraid of failure, recognizing it as an integral part of growth. The SheCodes experience has instilled in me the confidence to continually challenge myself and reach for heights I might not have previously considered achievable.”

🎉 Michelle’s SheCodes Basics Add-On Testimonial:

“This has been a great experience! I'm so happy to learn the basics and continue on with SheCodes Max! Matt breaks things down really well to learn and I was a complete beginner. The course is easy to navigate and the new introduction to Athena the AI has been awesome to check my code and is a great resource. Only positive things to say. Thank you Matt and the SheCodes team! I'm ready for the next course and new career, here I come!”

🎉 Michelle’s SheCodes React Add-On Testimonial:

“Wow. I can't believe how far I've come on this journey, yet I feel like it is just beginning. React was crazy to learn and very rewarding. Thank you to Matt, the ENTIRE SheCodes team, and Athena! I'm blown away by the dedication of this school and the team to create their own APIs and help push you to learn the most current practices and not be afraid to break your code and try again. I have loved every minute of this and am so excited for my future. Thank you.”

🎉 Michelle’s SheCodes Next Testimonial:

“Taking this SheCodes Max workshop has been so rewarding and just incredible. I am so inspired to pursue work as a front-end developer AND the chance to combine all my passions. I am so thankful for the time and dedication that Matt and the SheCodes team put into the workshops and Matt's instruction is just phenomenal! I know there is still much to learn and I am so excited about it and what is to come! I am very thankful for having the opportunity to take these workshops and I recommend it if you think you want to learn to code!”