Sara Blevins
is one of these talented individuals, who will complete the Front-End Web
Developer Nanodegree program later this year. Last week, we invited Sara and
some of her fellow scholars to attend Google I/O as special guests. We caught
up with her to find out what I/O was like and what advice she has for other
individuals looking to start a new career as a developer.
1. You went
to I/O this past week! Tell us about that.
The joy and
awe I experienced was overwhelming, it welled up to the point where I couldn’t
control it. Google to me isn’t a company, it’s the door in the back of the
wardrobe that leads to Narnia. It’s the embodiment of the idea that an open,
free, diverse, progressive, inclusive world isn’t too lofty a goal, it’s a
reality we can all create together.
2. Raising
kids, working a job, and further improving your web development skills as part
of this developer scholarship all take a lot of hard work and time. Where do
you find your motivation to keep going?
For me, it
isn’t that I need to stay motivated, it’s that I’m finally free and the
question is, how do I remember that I need to sleep, eat, and relax. For most
of my life, I’ve felt like a stallion that couldn’t run, an eagle that couldn’t
fly, or a dolphin that couldn’t swim. Now, my cage door has been opened and I’m
going to move forward as fast as life will permit me. I see wonder all around
me, in even the simplest of things. I now have the ability to meaningfully
contribute to that wonder.
3. You’ve
talked about being told by others in the past that “it isn’t feminine” to be in
science, technology, or math. What would you tell those same people today if
they saw what you’re doing now?
In the words
of the monk who changed my life, “I open the door of my heart to you.” I
understand the social conditioning that implanted that perspective in your
mind. I also reject that conditioning, entirely. Now, watch me.
4. What’s one
habit that makes you successful?
Anyone who
knows me and has for any length of ,
5. What do
you want to get better at?
Right now my
next goal is to find someone who’s good with Github and beg them to help me
understand how to use it correctly. Aside from that, my primary objective for
now is to put in the hours it takes to become an expert at web development. It
may sound lofty, but I’d like to be so good at it, and combine it with my
natural creative abilities to the point where clients come to me or where when
you think web development, you think of my name. I don’t dream small…
6. What
advice do you have for others who are starting their journeys to becoming
developers?
Embrace fear,
self-doubt, discomfort, frustration, and failures. Not just embrace, but hold
them close to your heart, nurture them and allow them to be yours. Because they
are gifts, the most precious gifts life has to give; in those places are where
we grow, push beyond what we are, and learn what we are capable of. This is
hard—be harder.
7. Out of everything
that happened this week, what new stories, knowledge, or perspectives do you
think you’ll carry home with you?
The open
sharing of ideas, thoughts, perspectives, and gifts is the height of what we
humans can aspire to in my opinion; at I/O, that’s what I witnessed in
marvelous abundance. I was especially struck by the diversity and the drive to
improve the human experience that seemed to the common threads running through
the event. That spirit is now forever locked inside me, I feel renewed toward
my overall goal of being a voice for women in tech.
8. And what
are you looking forward to most about being back home?
The arms of
my babies… I can’t wait to show them the pictures, videos, and answer
questions. I tell them as much as possible that if they are brave enough to be
people who bring value to the world through their talents, actions, and
thoughts, that they can literally create their own reality. I will push myself
to my very limits to be the kind of person my babies can look up to. Also, I’m
legit going to curl into the fetal position and sob uncontrollably if I don’t
get to play my Xbox immediatelytime knows that I play the long game. I’ve been
called obsessed and I embrace that—I wear it as a badge of honor
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