This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Women in IT

“I’ve recently started teaching others how to code. I love being able to help others and give back to the web community that has shared so much with me.”
Brenna's biography

Brenna is a web developer in Toronto and an expert in CSS3, HTML5, Sass, JavaScript and responsive design. Curious and committed to lifelong learning, she loves experimenting with the latest and greatest in web technology and sharing her knowledge with others through Ladies Learning Code and HackerYou.

I’m a Lead Developer and Instructor at HackerYou, an independent tech school. I work on internal web development projects and mentor and teach at our front-end web development courses.

I love being in the tech industry for several reasons. Primarily, web development strikes a perfect balance between analytic thinking and creativity. My academic background is the sciences, but I’ve also always had hands-on, DIY hobbies – from crafts as a kid, to refinishing furniture and bike maintenance as an adult. I work with code all day long, but I also get to say “I made this!” at the end of a project. Being able to bring those two areas of my brain together and getting paid to do it is pretty amazing. I also love being in tech because its constantly evolving. Learning new skills and experimenting with groundbreaking technology is both challenging and exciting. Finally, I’ve recently started teaching others how to code. I love being able to help others and give back to the web community that has shared so much with me.

When my family got our first computer, I didn’t know much, but I knew the most out of anyone in the family. If something went wrong, I would be the one to go exploring and figure out how to fix it, so I became more and more savvy over the years. I took a few computer classes in high school, but chose to pursue math and physics in university. After graduating with a BSc and having a hard time finding a full-time job in my field, I scoured local college courses looking to pick up a new skill in something I enjoyed. I found a web dev course, thought “I could see myself doing that,” and haven’t looked back!

Don’t be afraid to try something new. Making a career change or learning a new skill can feel risky or intimidating, but there is absolutely no shortage of jobs for web developers right now, and there’s never been more resources available to learn how to code. Everyone in our industry comes from a huge breadth of backgrounds, and we all bring something unique to the table because of it. All you need is a willingness to learn!

 

First thing would be putting on some favourite music. Good music can get me through just about anything in life! I also enjoy cooking, reading (mostly sci-fi) or working on any sort of non-computer related project as a mental break. And of course, quality time with family and friends works wonders.

Through outreach and professional development activities, research, partnerships, thought leadership and online initiatives, we work with industry and academia to educate on the value of diversity for innovation, to inspire women to thrive and to celebrate the contributions of women in science and engineering.
For Inquiries :
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.