On March 29, I turned 48, grateful, fulfilled, and with so many incredible things to celebrate! 🎉
Over the past year, I:
✨ Moved to a new country, a new continent, where I was warmly welcomed and made lifelong friends.
✨ Became co-organizer of the AWS User Group Skåne, joining two amazing friends Sweden gave me, Marcus Bladh and Jimmy Dahlqvist.
✨ Started volunteering at ReDi School of Digital Integration, teaching digital skills to immigrants and refugees in Malmö.
✨ Joined Women In Tech Sweden as a Social Media Specialist volunteer, where I was featured as a Member Highlight this March.
✨ Was accepted into the All Builders Welcome program, which not only took me to AWS re:Invent in Las Vegas but also gave me the chance to organize a Women in Tech bus trip and co-host a Women in Tech meetup alongside one of my biggest inspirations, AWS Hero Linda Mohamed. Plus, I received an AWS EMEA Award!
✨ Delivered talks in Gothenburg, Malmö, Vienna, and Berlin, and soon, I’ll be running a Women in Tech workshop in Milan on April 2nd (thanks Monica Colangelo 🥰).
✨ Partnered with three incredible women - Martina Della Corte , Jagoda Cubrilo and Caroline Cah - to launch the AWS Women’s User Group Sweden, and I’ll be giving my first talk in Stockholm soon, thanks to this fantastic initiative!
And that’s just scratching the surface! There are so many other moments I could share, but let’s keep it short.
However, let’s be real. For all its highlights, this journey hasn’t been smooth.
Being an immigrant woman who transitioned into software development after 40, with no prior tech background, might sound inspiring, but it’s been far from easy.
There’s no “take this course, get this certification, and land a six-figure job in three months” formula. This is not a fairytale.
I always say that being passionate about what I do in tech makes my journey lighter, not easier.
📌 Since I moved to Sweden and started job hunting, I’ve been rejected in many recruitment processes. This is the reality of many others in different stages of their careers.
đź“Ś Learning new concepts without a prior technical foundation is a struggle, even though it has never stopped me from excelling in my work.
📌 Menopause is brutal, and we don’t talk about it enough to prepare women for this challenging phase.
đź“Ś Impostor syndrome is a constant battle.
đź“Ś Many companies talk about diversity, but few are truly prepared to support diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and work styles in a way that fosters real inclusion.
đź“Ś There have been many mornings when I woke up wondering if I should just give up.
So why don’t I?
Because:
❤️ Volunteering connects me with people who fight battles even tougher than mine. If I stop, who will be there for them?
❤️ I surround myself with people who inspire me. People who believe in me even when I doubt myself, Lucio Moraes, Michelle Amaral, CPHR Candidate, Mariana Braga, Derek Bingham, Donna Edwards, Jimmy Dahlqvist, Marcus Bladh, Linda Mohamed, Julia Furst Morgado, Linda Tierney, Anja Woracek, Sahan Dissanayake, Endah Bongo-Awah and many more who keep me going.
❤️ I’ve been lucky to work in companies with incredible mentors who saw the value in my diverse background and helped me thrive, like Richard Sentino, Ella Cane, Callie Beswick, Matthew Young, Claudynn Lee, Mila Dymnikova, and so many others. Yes, those companies exist; it’s a game-changing experience, and I know I can find another place like that.
❤️ I look back at my journey, read my recommendations, revisit the impact I’ve made in my past roles, and remind myself: A few years ago, I knew nothing about technology. Look how far I’ve come.
It reinforces to me how many fantastic things I can accomplish. 🤩
And if I can do it, so can you. 💪🏻
Let’s see what I have to say on my 49s! 🚀
Note: This article was also published on LinkedIn
