How I Became a Web Developer

As a kid, I was obsessed with building and creating things. My go-to was Legos and I would spend hours snapping together Star Wars sets—X-Wings, TIE Fighters, even my own custom start fighter at one point. For me, it wasn’t just play; it was figuring out how the pieces fit together and how I could make something cool from a pile of bricks. That knack for building things stuck with me. In college, I studied communications, but my real passion was tinkering, tweaking and testing websites. I loved the challenge of it, sort of like a puzzle, and it reminded me of building my Lego sets as a kid.

Fast forward to 2020 when the Covid pandemic hit. I was in a dead-end job and I needed to find a way out. My driving motivation was for my growing family and how I could build a better life for them. I researched growing fields that fit my working style and personality strengths, and I stumbled upon coding and web development. As I dived further into it, it felt like a perfect fit and a sustainable way to support my family. I had two goals, which I typed into a Notion folder (and still keep there today):

Support my family with a stable, solid income.
Find a flexible work-life balance so I could be present to my family.

With those targets locked in, I set off to learn coding and web development.

The Start

I created a Notion folder to track everything: daily progress, notes, useful links, even chats with developers already in the field. It was my mission control. Every morning before work, I’d tackle coding challenges on sites like Codewars and LeetCode. After a while, I switched to freeCodeCamp’s Responsive Web Design certification to focus in on the fundamentals of HTML and CSS (Cascading Styles Sheets).

After several months of honing my skills, I took on the five projects needed for the certification. Building those felt like constructing my own star fighter. Once I finished, I started applying for jobs in the field. Rejection emails from recruiters kept piling up, but I kept pushing, knowing and trusting that my opportunity would eventually come around.

I applied for an entry-level developer role at Apple Federal Credit Union, a place I’d applied to before a couple of years ago but didn’t get the role.. Having a connection there gave me a leg up in the recruiting process (shout out to Rebecca and Melissa!) and fast-tracked me to the developer role. After a few rounds of interviews, I was thrilled to receive an offer! All those months of early mornings spent coding and late nights working on personal projects finally paid off. Since then, I’ve remained committed to continuous learning, always seeking to seize every opportunity that comes my way. I’ve embraced every challenge as a chance to grow and viewed each setback as motivation to sharpen my skills and improve my craft.

Why I Chose Coding

Coding has been part of me since my Lego days. As a kid, I’d spend hours tinkering with Lego sets, experimenting with different sets, solving the puzzle of how to make them work. That drive to create and figure things out never left me. In college, I realized I loved technical challenges—diving into problems, breaking them down, and building solutions. Web development clicked because it’s like those Lego projects: a mix of creativity, logic, and constant tinkering.

Here’s why it fits me:

It’s a Growing Path: There’s always more to learn. Every challenge is a chance to get better and improve your skillset.
I’m in Control: I’m choosing this career path and shaping it to fit my life, not the other way around. My family comes first and having a flexible work-life balance in this field is the perfect fit for me.
It Matches Me: I’m a builder at heart and I thrive on solving tough problems. I love digging into a challenge. I’m not a designer by trade, but I’ve improved by learning CSS and crafting simple, minimalistic designs. It’s like building a Lego model: every piece has to fit just right to create a great experience.

Best Advice I Got

As I was meeting professionals in the field and reconnecting with friends already working in tech, a mentor gave me this advice that never left me:

“Find what you like and stick with it—don’t stress about the end result. If you enjoy it, you’ll keep learning.”

That stuck with me. I love the puzzle of coding, the way it clicks when a solution works. It’s why I’m still here, plugging away.

Where I’m At Now

Today, I’m working as a web developer at Apple Federal Credit Union, building projects that make websites and apps more user-friendly and accessible. I’m constantly learning and growing in this ever-evolving field. Lately, I’ve revisited WordPress development and just wrapped up a site for my home parish, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. I’ve also been diving into the Jamstack ecosystem and exploring the many benefits it offers—more on that in an upcoming post!

This blog is my space to document what I’m learning, reflect on my journey, and hopefully help others who are just getting started. If I can code my way to a better life, so can you. Stick around, and let’s build something awesome together!I