A Way To “put ourself out there”.

I slid into the tech world in a quiet sort of way and I’ve been reaping the benefits ever since. I’ve been putting myself out there. How? I volunteer.

I was a teacher for only two years when I realized I might be very unhappy in 10+ years. I imagined the only changes were to gain an administrative position or go to another school (which can be hard if I’m “too expensive). At that point, I was like “nope!”I didn’t like the fact that I could have very limited options to feel like I’m growing. During this period, I had already started volunteering with an organization teaching kids how to code. I already started slipping into the tech world without even realizing it.

I started volunteering with a non-profit called We All Code. They said no coding experience needed, just knowledge of how to Google. I thought to myself, “I can do that!”, so I signed up.

The first class I had only had two students. I was paired with a seven year old girl who had finger pecking typing skills. With her limited typing knowledge, spelling, and knowing nothing of coding, she walked away with a very simple HTML website of “Unicorn Land” that she made. When she realized that, her face lit up! That’s when I knew I wanted to enter this world for myself. I didn’t know how to do that, but I did know I needed to keep volunteering.

I’ve been volunteering with We All Code for three years now and it has helped me tremendously.I have the confidence now to be part of the tech world. I can work with students on their projects. I talk to parents and let them know the tech world is more relatable and obtainable than what they think, so they become more interested in it themselves. Volunteering has also lead me to the MOST natural way to network. I have meet principals, parents, teachers, developers, recruiters, and also gained a mentor out of volunteering. These are people who could/do benefit me in some way. I have definitely used the help of developers and my mentor during my bootcamp experience. I want to create connections with those involved in the public school system. Some co-volunteers have told me to pass my resume when I complete my bootcamp. Overall, I believe in myself more.

You have beautiful things to share, so share them! Think about something that you really enjoy…Rock collecting? Quantum physics? Collecting chips that look like faces? Find a volunteer organization that shares your passion and start volunteering! You will be in you comfort zone with the opportunity to speak to people who are like you, while also pushing your comfort zone by being somewhere new. You never know who or what can come across your path. When it does, it will be good because that opportunity will come from an environment you set for yourself through volunteering.