In this special guest blog post, Juno Alum Kaitlyn Wickson reflects on the various paths that led her to tech — from a high school computer lab, to a math degree, to baking, to Juno's Web Development Bootcamp!
I started my coding journey back in the early 2000s in my first year of highschool: I stumbled into the computer lab with no clue what I was getting into. Honestly, I just wanted to play with computers like my friends. Thing is, my friends had signed up for classes teaching us how to build computers and I had unknowingly signed up for one that taught me how to code.
Despite this, I stuck it out and was amazed at what seemed like magic to me. I learned how hyperlinks worked (and how they changed colour when you clicked them — wow!) and how specific code could get — right down to changing the pixel sizes of specific elements. I was fascinated at how we broke down a website into its individual parts to build it, like a puzzle of sorts. It was all very amazing stuff.
I was fascinated at how we broke down a website into its individual parts to build it, like a puzzle of sorts.
I decided to focus my curiosity of puzzles in university by studying Mathematics (insert math groans here). Like my high school class, I learned it was all about taking a big problem and breaking it down into smaller and smaller pieces, but what really excited me was how I was essentially being taught how to think in a completely new manner.
I remember taking a game theory class, and we had to take a simple game like X’s and O’s and understand how a computer could win it. So we would break it into parts — if this happens, then this happens, and follow that all the way to the end. The entire time at University it was a big question of “Well? What happens next” or “Can we break this into tinier parts?” I’m glad I took it, as it really shaped how I thought about things, and how to tackle obstacles that seemed insurmountable.
Yet, despite all this knowledge of breaking things apart, I didn’t know what to build. I didn’t have a passion. Enter cookies (actual cookies, not internet cookies). The gateway into my baking career that I absolutely loved. It was my creative outlet, and I learned to make all sorts of things, from sourdough bread all the way to intricate plated desserts with multiple parts. I loved coming up with new things to make, or learning a new method to make something. However, problem solving bread and making sure it came out perfect only got me so far in the curiosity department. I got bored, and I wanted something new to challenge me mentally as well as creatively.
Curiosity led me to Juno College: after hearing from a few friends who completed the Web Development Bootcamp program, I decided to check it out. I wanted a career that challenged me, filled my curiosity and satisfied my creativity. So I enrolled in the intro to Web Development course part-time, just to test out the waters. It was amazing — that same enthusiasm from all those years ago in high school. I was hooked. So I took the second intro to JavaScript course and then I made the big plunge into the Bootcamp program. I was ready for a big, scary challenge.
From day one of Bootcamp, they always say to embrace the path that you took to get here. I couldn't agree more, as I don’t think I would have even made it to Bootcamp without the knowledge and experience that came before. In hindsight, it's easy to see how the choices fit together for me. My love of puzzles and being able to break down problems helped me break down the logic in website building. It helped me understand key concepts better, like how components work and how they fit together.
From day one of Bootcamp, they always say to embrace the path that you took to get here.
As much as the Math Degree helped, I think baking helped more. Baking gave me the personal knowledge of what my creative passion was, and how I could fit that within my new passion of coding. Coding was just a new way to express my creativity, and I was able to think about some of my past creative projects differently.
All of this is to say that I’m glad of the path I took to get here. It was messy at times (flour everywhere) and challenging but it was all necessary for me to be here, in a place that allows me to use all my skills, talents and passions. So — I challenge you, dear reader, to find your passion or whatever daunting challenge you’ve put off and see where it leads you, you might find the best darn cookie along the way.
Check out Kaitlyn's portfolio here!
Become a web developer at Juno College
Our Web Development Bootcamp is designed for beginners looking to change careers and break into tech. See what you'll learn and build below: