Introducing our March Cohort!
Group picture during our March Cohort Kickoff Call.
The mission of WEST is to help women enter and stay in tech, and we are pleased to introduce the incredible women that make up our March mentoring cohort.
Our mentees come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences and we are honored to support them in accelerating towards their development goals through 1-on-1 and group mentorship sessions. Interested in learning more? Join us for our next six month cohort, launching in mid September!
Kristin Smith - Software Delivery Engineer, Observability Advocate
LinkedIn | Blog | Recorded Talk | Speaker Profile
Bio: Librarians make great developers! I like to say I "snuck in through the side door" when I started my tech career because I fell in love with software and databases via archival metadata needs back in 2014. My primary professional interests right now are Infrastructure as Code, cloud monitoring, and learning how to effectively test both of those. I’m looking to learn more about continuous deployment, traceability, and AWS data tools in 2021.
I’m also a firm believer that “glue” work is a vital part of People/Process/Products, and I take effective communication to heart. I sincerely try to write/demo/record documentation that helps developers get on-board and in production faster and with more joy!
What excites you about the WEST program? WEST has been such a gift at this time in my career, and I'm grateful to my employer Campspot for supporting my involvement in the program. I'm looking forward to building relationships with other technical women and non-binary folks and supporting each other as we go after our next round of personal goals!
Favorite Quote: "If your team needs to call you...when you go on vacation? You're not a force multiplier, you're a bottleneck" -Shelby Spees
Maire Chew - Senior Software Engineer at Flatfile
Bio: Maire Chew spends her days making the process of interacting with data more human in her role as a senior Software Engineer at Flatfile. Inspired by exceptionally well designed products, she has dedicated herself to becoming a Front End beautician. When she’s not coding, she enjoys interior home demolition and renovation, all while hanging out with her two fur-dog-children.
What excites you about the WEST program? I was drawn to the WEST program after being recommended to it by my previous CTO and reading great reviews! Now I get to learn from his direct reports and their aspirations (I LOVE the tech community). I'm looking forward to growing with and learning from all of the cohort members + my mentor!
Favorite Quote: "We can do hard things." - Glennon Doyle
Mississippi Brennan - Software Engineer
LinkedIn | Blog on Patreon | Website
Bio: I like to blog about tech, femme spaces and improving our understanding of reality!
What excites you about the WEST program?I was interested in learning how to balance getting my own business up and running while still advancing my corporate career.
Nastya Zlenko - Software Engineer at Grammarly
Bio: When I was a teenager, I asked my uncle, a software engineer, to show me how to program, just out of curiosity. We created a small app, and it fascinated me how quickly you can create something useful! Then I decided that I want to work in the tech industry. I started my career as an SDET, and now I've been working as a Software Engineer for seven years.
What excites you about the WEST program? Finding supportive and competent mentors has always been game-changing in my career. I have many brilliant and caring people in my company, but it's great to meet someone from other companies to gain a new perspective on my growth.
Natalie Montoya - Software Developer at Campspot
Bio: I have been a full stack software developer at Campspot for three years. I am a career changer and I attended a boot camp called Turing to learn coding. I was a petroleum engineer in my previous career. I used a lot of industry software and excel spreadsheets in my day to day work. I recognized that an app would be better suited to storing, manipulating, and analyzing data in excel. This is what attracted me to software development. I enjoy implementing features that improve user experiences. In my free time I love reading, crafting, gardening and hiking.
What excites you about the WEST program? I am inspired by other successful women in tech. I love to hear about their experiences and I'm looking forward to connecting with the WEST community.
Favorite Quote: “The only limit to the height of your achievements is the reach of your dreams and your willingness to work hard for them.” - Michelle Obama
Sharon Lawrence - Cybersecurity Engineer at GDIT
Bio: I came into the tech field when my ex-husband and I both went to get our A+ certification together. We both received it but couldn't find a job because in the 90's a lot of those IT jobs were outsourced to other foreign countries. So, I took a break for about 10 years, and went to the bank and Education field. Then went back to school and received my BS in Business Ed-Information Technology and then I started my IT career again. I started in the help desk for 5 years and moved my way up Cybersecurity a year later.
What excites you about the WEST program? I heard about WEST from a Networking event and I heard it was a great program for helping with building up your career goals and I like the one -on-one mentorship. I am looking for structure and directions with my career goals.
Favorite Quote: “Never let anyone say, you can't do something...”
Tess Hannel - Product Designer and Travel Addict
Bio: I've loved art and design since I was young. I started my career in graphic design and art direction, and my insatiable curiosity for all things design led me to product design! I love being able to touch every part of the process, particularly customer research and testing. My background in art direction and love of customer research inspires my approach of "delightful design" — trying to infuse a considered thoughtfulness and striking visuals in every piece of work. Outside of designing tech products, you can probably find me on a plane, train, or any other mode of transport that will take me to a new adventure.
What excites you about the WEST program? The most clarifying and progressive moments in my career have been facilitated by phenomenal mentors. As I look to grow as product designer and eventually manage other designers, I'm so grateful for both the community and individual focus WEST provides for this cohort of talented women. Beyond my personal growth, I'm looking forward to learning how to be the best teammate and mentor to my colleagues.
Favorite Quote: "Action expresses priorities" — Mahatma Gandhi
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