Hey.

I’m Katrinka. Nice to meet you.

Besides trying to throw you off from the get-go with an extra k in my name, and then an e instead of an a in my last name, I promise, I really am easy-going.

I’ve been teaching myself how to code since I was about 12. Since I like icebreakers that embarrass, and I do realize I’m dating myself with this confession, I’ll tell you my interest began creating pet pages with Neopets. Anyone remember that? Come on, raise your hand. I’ll keep your secret. I know I can’t be the only one.

Anyway, moving on. My road to code has been filled with many detours, u-turns, and sometimes full on stops. I attended a tech-focused magnet program my freshmen year of high school, but then transferred to a collegiate program the year after. Being the head-strong and know-it-all teenager I was, I decided I had a great grip on the world and changed tracks to focus on a degree in journalism.

In no way do I regret that. Writing is my very first love. Some of my earliest memories are of me creating elaborate stories and books from construction paper. I loved to create my own poems for greeting cards. I have self-published a book about zombie dinosaurs and have about 15 unfinished or unpolished novels collecting digital dust that I swear I will get back to one day.

Through a need to eat in a down economy post-graduation, about 10 moves in seven years, and taking care of my family, I have been studying code on and off a little at a time.

A few years ago, I got the opportunity through a grant to study JavaScript and a beginner Java course. I spent months studying. I didn’t pass the Java certification test by 6%, and I was devastated. I called my dad to tell him the results, and he said, “I can’t believe it. That’s not like you at all.”

I took a break, decided to focus more on JavaScript instead of Java. Get more acquainted with Object Oriented Programming and then go back to the certification exam. I was stretching myself too thin while trying to take care of my daughter, and pregnant with my second daughter. Mom brain is really real, okay?

That’s when I found out about the Grow with Google Scholarship through Udacity. A chance at their Frontend Web Development Nanodegree? You bet your tuchus I wanted that opportunity! I was about to have two daughters who needed to see that their mom could do absolutely anything if she put her mind to it. And I needed to get back to being a person, something separate from my sole identity of “Mom”.

It had been a couple months after I applied, and yet another move (my husband is a contractor. We move a lot), so it took me by complete surprise when I opened an email one morning saying I was awarded the scholarship.

A fire was lit inside of me, and I knew this was a sign that I was on the right path. Something I have been going back to again and again for over a decade, and someone out there believed in me enough through my application to award me a scholarship.

I flew through the course as it was mostly HTML and CSS, which I love, (I wanted to complete it before my child was born because I could not imagine doing this with a newborn), struggled on the final project (a pixel art maker made with JavaScript), but ultimately came out feeling like a champ. I. Coded. That! ME! Someone could actually use this to make art!

The first part of the program ended. Only 10% of the initial recipients would move on to phase two — the full nanodegree. I wasn’t sure I had done enough. I wasn’t sure how I could have done more. I truly gave it my all.

Well, I already spoiled it for you, but I was selected for the full nanodegree! I am constantly working on believing in myself more, and this was yet another lesson along that vein.

Here I was with a newborn and a toddler, my husband working close to 80 hours a week, no family or friends around to help me with childcare, and six months to complete this massive program where almost everything was going to be brand new to me.

I was in shock. And terrified. How on earth would it be possible for me to complete this?! 12 hours a week was the suggested dedicated time to complete the course. 12 hours?! A week?! I was struggling to find 15 minutes to shower.

I’ll spare you more theatrics, but through persistence, baby wearing, incredibly late nights, gallons of coffee, many tears and hours of frustration, and one great friend (who is worlds smarter than me. Seriously. Basically a literal rocket scientist) I met nearby who was also in the program, I did it! I completed the program with one day to spare!

Mentally exhausted, I took a break. The holidays were upon us. We took a vacation to Seattle to visit my best friend. Her husband works for Microsoft, and over the course of the week, he gave me the best pep talks anyone could ask for. I did know enough to pursue this as a career. I needed to stop letting imposter syndrome get the best of me, because, being honest, it’ll probably always exist. And I needed to keep learning. Keep coding. Keep practicing.

I extended my development break for a bit longer. My husband got a contract in another state, but only for a few months. Full-time parenting with two littles completely dependent on me didn’t make for the best environment to learn new techniques.

There are definitely parents and moms out there who could tackle that. I am not one of them. No amount of motivational quotes in the world could get me to try to complete projects when I literally could never get a break.

Things are still as busy and hectic as ever, but at least I have my husband back, if only on the weekends, and I can scrape together an hour or two to get some work done.

This is going to be my little corner of the internet where I put my ramblings, my breakthroughs, my projects. It’s to document my journey, so I have something to look back on and actually see how far I have come.

So, who is Katrinka? It’s me. This is one snippet of who I am, but the part of me I want to focus on. I’m truly always happy to hear from you, so by all means, feel free to reach out to me about anything, anytime.

Love,

Katrinka Joy