Nevertheless, Diana Coded

Where do I begin?…

My background isn’t conventional. I grew up with an amazing family of nerds who bought programming, computer, and gaming magazines. Those were the magazines I scribbled and drew on whenever I got hold of marker pens.

My mother worked in a corporate computer supplier and she often brought “samplers” back home. The day she brought a new Commodore-64, my life changed forever. Copying game codes from magazines wasn’t a hassle for me, I found it fascinating and cathartic at the same time. I was 6 years old. With time, she saw my interest and taught me the basic things that made a difference: basic, assembler, and then Python. With time it became a normal thing and part of my conversations. I was lucky to find supportive classmates in school. I will always be grateful for the support I got from my parents.

I started “formally” coding at the age of 14 and grew up with much interest and work on infrastructure and backend. Throughout my entire career, I saw the good and the ugly in terms of diversity and inclusion, so I decided to take action and work with my environment, later with communities and worked(still working!) hard to get as far as I could, and help others. I wanted to be part of the solution. I wanted to help open programming gates to women and underrepresented communities.

The Biggest Challenge I Faced Was…

… At 18 years old. My first data centre job. Walked in ready to assemble racks and do the networking side of the operation. I was mocked and mistaken for a lost marketing intern. Then the men present assumed I was there to bring them refreshments and their tools. I had to prove not only that I was perfectly fit for the job but also prove my knowledge and I was often ridiculed or ignored for being too young… and a woman. This fueled my desire to overcome those barriers and help pave the way for others, at least wherever I went.

The Most Rewarding Thing This Year…

Getting my dream job. I am super happy to be in charge of the Nexmo Python SDK. This job combines my passions: Python and public speaking/writing content. Never have I felt so welcomed and so supported. I am definitely looking forward to what’s coming this year!!

My Message for Others…

You are awesome. We are all different and diversity is what keeps the world rocking! , Bbe yourself, celebrate, praise yourself and help others as you grow!

And like Brian May sings in “Good Company” :

“Take care of those you call your own and keep good company.”