This was originally posted on Christine Belzie's blog, Chrissy Codes.
It’s hard being the new kid
Ladies and gentlefolk, let me tell you, being the new kid in coding spaces can be rough, especially if you're a woman. I mean, imagine being one of the few ladies in a sea of dudes who are coding circles around you and rolling their eyes whenever you offer suggestions on how to improve the community. Phew! 😮💨 But luckily for me, I've stumbled upon the utopias of coding communities - Baddies in Tech and Women Who Code. These two communities are like The Amazons and The Birds of Prey of coding spaces(shout out to Marvel and DC Comic fans), cool, confident, and kind women who empower each other and make coding fun. So, grab some snacks (or any food of choice, I won't judge), sit back, and enjoy the ride as I take you through my experiences with these two awesome communities.
Joining Forces With Women Who Code
After exploring SheCodes and dabbling a little bit with Scrimba, I wanted to participate more in womxn-centric coding communities so I can inspire other womxn to start their coding journey. When I found Women Who Code, it was like finding a tech version of Themyscira (for non-DC Comics fans, this is the home island of the Amazons in Wonder Woman) - a digital paradise where amazing women from all walks of life code and thrive.
There are so many reasons why I enjoy the Women Who Code community but if I had to pick one, it would be the unwavering eagerness to share knowledge.
For example, I attended last year’s Career Navigation Cohort. We were asked to either write a post for the Women Who Code blog or start a podcast. Since I'm a lover of all things writing, I went with the blog post track. For while, I struggled with finding the right topic for my post and would allow my inner critic to speak anytime I'd come up with an idea. So, I messaged one of the cohort leaders about my problem. She told me to not fret about picking the perfect topic, and just chose one that comes from the heart. As someone who has never done a blog before, these words were like a breath of fresh air. They not only motivated me to submit my post but also led to the birth of Chrissy Codes. Through this experience, I learned that sometimes, just a few words can have a huge impact on a person.
Ok, enough with the sappiness, let's move on to the next coding community that raised me.
Let's go!!
Becoming a Baddie in Tech 😎
While Women Who Code was fun, my thirst for womxn-centric coding communities was still strong. So here I am, scrolling through the internet until I saw Baddies in Tech. I decided to join because of the name and its dedication to helping Black womxn break into tech and grow their skills. I must’ve had a lucky charm because here I am in another community filled with awesome womxn who are learning how to code and empowering each other in their coding/tech journeys. Through this community, I have learned that learning in public can inspire other people's learning journey. I have seen this firsthand when one of the members told me she joined a Women Who Code chapter in London and got her first pull request merged after being inspired by my blog! 😁 This made me even more vigilant in inspiring women to join tech spaces, especially open source communities.
Oh great, here I go getting sappy again! 😢 Let's move on to the end before I start crying.
Conclusion
With the help of these coding communities, I've gone from a baby coder to a baddie who codes. 😎 If you want to be a fellow baddie who codes, follow me on Hashnode and connect with me on my other socials via Linkfree. Let’s raise some more confident womxn who code!
Credits
Blank Panther Wakanda Forever GIF by Marvel Studios
Coming For You Wonder Woman GIF by HBO Max
Captain Marvel GIF by Marvel Studios
Rita Ora Drama GIF by America's Next Top Model
Themyscira Wonder GIF by peachofthemoon
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