You have everything you need.
Hey there!
My name is Denise and I am a part of the STEM family. I became interested in coding my senior year in high school. This was not my original plan for my life. I wanted to be a lawyer but after taking an elective course and realizing that I was good at coding, I decided to pursue this as my major in undergraduate school. I graduated from Hampton University in 1989 with a B.S. in Computer Science. I have been blessed to have a career at Verizon for almost 32 years. Guess what? I started out as an entry level developer.
Today, I encourage you to continue your path as a part of the STEM community. You can do it. Be resilient, be brave, know your worth and be yourself. Therein is where your strength lies. You have been gifted to do this and everything you need is inside of you to manifest a successful career. Love what you do, master your craft, and never stop learning. Seek out a Mentor who will advocate for you and always build meaningful relationships. Always do your best and always take advantage of the opportunities that come your way because you never know which one will land you in the seat you want to sit in.
I see you TechDiva. Go for what you know and remember black girls can code and black girls rock. You are our future, and I look forward to seeing your impact in the world.
Yours Truly,
Denise Shell