From environmental science to software engineer.

Becoming a software engineer wasn't part of the plan. Mostly because I didn't know it was even an option.

Both of my brothers are software engineers. I grew up around it. Just like them, I was the nerdy kid building computers and experimenting with HTML and CSS. But even then, it never felt like a path I was supposed to take, because women didn't go into tech. Or at least, that's what it looked like from where I was standing.

So instead, I built a career in environmental health. I earned a bachelor's and a master's degree. I worked in consulting. And for a while, that was the plan. But the more I explored the idea of building things, solving problems, and the allure of constant learning, the more I realized I wanted more than my current career had to offer.

When I finally decided to make the leap into software engineering, I wanted to go all in. So while working full time, I enrolled in a bachelor's program in software development, and finished the entire thing in eight months.

And somewhere in the middle of all of that? I became a mom, first to one, then to twins. Balancing a full-time engineering role, conference speaking, writing, mentoring, and parenting isn't easy, but it's absolutely possible.

When I see women looking at tech, too many still feel like I did in the beginning: like this industry isn't built for them. Like it's too late to start. Like family and career have to be either/or.

These days, I speak at conferences, co-host the Overcommitted podcast, write The Balanced Engineer newsletter, and share what I've learned about building a career that's both technically challenging and personally sustainable.

If my story helps even one more woman see what's possible for her, then it's worth telling.