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There is a joy that comes with watching a community built. In my time here at CodeCast, I’ve been able to watch our hard work team translate their successes into a community looking to create their own successes. That’s one of the reasons I’m so excited about CodeCast.

But enough about me, today I want to profile Amy. She’s one of our software developers here at CodeCast, but also one of the largest content creators currently on our site. Alongside her Casts and Series, we have the pleasure of having her write articles for us!

So without further ado…

Q: So, Amy. What is it that makes you want to create content?

I’ve always been a highly creative person. I’ve always loved doing fine arts and writing. I actually ended up getting an associate's degree earlier in my youth in creative writing! Blog writing feels very natural to me. Video content, on the other hand, is something completely new to me, but I enjoy sharing the things that I make with my code. It’s been fun!

Q: That’s interesting! Given your background, what first inspired you to get into development?

I was looking for a career change. I had worked retail for nearly 15 years, and I was wanting to do something else. I love working with computers. I spent my holidays in 2019 rebuilding a computer for my husband. Afterward, I started thinking about pursuing something in the tech industry. 

Q: Where did you go and what else have you done (or are you currently doing) to learn to code?

I signed up for a coding fundamentals class and a bootcamp! I finished the bootcamp in early summer of 2020. I also used some online resources like Codecademy and such. Since then, I’ve learned through tons of varying online sources as I’ve branched out more!

Q: What was your ‘yes’ moment when learning to code?

To be honest, I don’t think I ever felt I had that “yes” moment. I definitely felt a lot of “no” moments. I was hesitant to begin looking for work because I still felt like I was an imposter and not ready to begin. When I began my internship at CodeCast, I was pretty terrified. However, I began working and I just sort of got more and more comfortable. I became comfortable with being uncomfortable - which is probably the best skill I’ve learned so far.

Q: So, which aspect of development is the most exciting for you?

Anything on the front-end. I love translating designs into codes, and I really love working with CSS. I love watching my code really create something.

Q: Is there a project you’re currently working on that you’re excited about?

Nothing I can currently share ;)

Q: Are there languages that you enjoy working with more than others?

I love styling and I really enjoy working with CSS, but for more intensive languages, I’m really a JavaScript girl through and through. Bootcamp me would be shocked to hear me say that because JavaScript was a hard sell for me. I loved Rails during my bootcamp, but haven’t had much opportunity to work with it since. 

Q: What is your favorite thing that you’ve built to date?

I’d say my Trivia Game because it was entirely mine. I didn’t follow a tutorial, I didn’t need to build it for work. I just made it as a fun project!

Q: What is your favorite thing to do in your free time?

I’m the kind of person who collects hobbies. I’m a TV fiend. I love characters and following them along. I’m very crafty though and spend a lot of time doing crafts while I watch TV like crocheting and cross-stitching. 

I also spend basically all my time with my dog.

Q: What is your go-to method to caffeinate yourself?

Any and all. But for real, I’m a Redbull girl and I love coffee in all forms, so it really depends on my mood!

Q: What would you say has been the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome thus far in your coding career?

Learning how to be stuck. I’m not used to being bad at things. That probably sounds conceited, but I’ve always been someone who can kind of just figure things out. Coding has taught me that you’re going to be stuck a LOT. I had to figure out how to deal with that emotion. A lot of tears and frustration later, I’ve gotten much better at navigating it. 

Q: What makes you passionate about CodeCast?

I started my bootcamp in March of 2020. We had a total of four days in class before the world locked down and our entire bootcamp was forced online. We used CodeCast every single day alongside our lectures. It’s what all of our professors wrote all their code in, and it helped so freaking much. It made it so if you fell behind or got stuck, you could figure it out again. You didn’t get entirely lost. Online learning is difficult, but honestly, it made an extremely large difference. Getting to work for the company that kind of taught me to code in a way is a very full-circle moment. I really believe in the software and the community CodeCast is trying to build, and I’m happy to be a part of it.

We’re so happy to have you! Honestly, that’s fantastic to hear. We love your content here at CodeCast and have enjoyed watching you grow as a developer. We know you have lots more in store in the future.

You can check out Amy’s work here.