Breaking the Code with Valeria Jara

Cindy: Breaking the Code with Gabriella tells the story of a young girl who overcomes gender stereotypes in robotics, cementing herself as a role model for young women. The book includes science and engineering information, such as the design process and Java tutorials. As part of our initiative to empower young girls to pursue their interests in STEM, we are running the Breaking the Code with Gabriella: Trailblazers in STEM Speaker Series, which explores the careers of women in science, technology, engineering, and math. The series aims to dispel gender stereotypes and aid young students in getting advice on how to pursue their own passions.

 

Cindy: Today I'm here with Valeria Jara, who is a software engineer from Peru currently working as a back-end Ruby developer at a startup based in New York City, seeking creative solutions with tech. Jara majored in computer science and minored in mathematics, with experience in authentication. She is also active on social media, sharing her own experiences and tips for aspiring programmers. Now, could you give a brief introduction about yourself, anything about your journey in STEM, your future goals, or your current interests that you think are notable?

 

Valeria: Sure, once again, thank you so much for this opportunity. I also think that it is incredible just seeing the things that high schoolers are doing now in order to further motivate the next generation to pursue this field. Because, especially when I was in high school about 10 years ago, there was nothing that I could really relate to. It's just fascinating to me to see things like this popping up nowadays. 

 

Valeria: A little bit about my journey: so, I was born and raised in Peru and it was actually in Peru that I discovered coding for the first time. And it wasn't because someone told me about it or it wasn't because I had a class about it, it was just because I loved getting on my computer and looking up games, especially dress-up games or flash games and things like that. And then I started looking into creative spaces such as Devian Art, and seeing people put up their digital artwork, but also some flash games that they would have created on their own in their room, at their own home. I thought, “Oh, if these people can do these things, then that means that I can do it too, if I just follow a tutorial or something.” 

 

Valeria: So, it was that creativity that really pulled me into it and all the things that you can really create with code. It's not necessarily just this “Hello World” program - it's so much more. I'm really someone who pushes for introducing coding to other people through the process of creativity.

 

Valeria: Aside from that, I moved to the US when I was about 15 years old. My parents were incredibly supportive in the sense that they let me go live with my family in the US, and they stayed back in Peru the whole time. I knew that I wanted to major in computer science and become a software engineer, so it was very challenging to not have a lot of those resources at the time. I had to just try and figure everything out on my own, so I also faced a lot of people who told me “Oh, you're not good at math, you shouldn't pursue engineering,” and a lot of discouragement about “Oh, you're going to get talked down to constantly, you need to change your personality if you want to make it in tech.” It was just so much negativity that I didn't allow to stop me from pursuing my goals. 

 

Valeria: Here I am as a software engineer now based in New York City, and I think with all the life experiences that I have had so far, I really hope to motivate other young people, especially those that don't follow the traditional “I took a class, and I d it.” And there's just so many other ways to be able to find enjoyment in coding. It doesn't have to be perfect and you don't have to be a math genius right away; there's just so many avenues for you to find it and to be successful in it. 

 

Cindy: Definitely, even if your interests at first don't seem related - you might be interested in art or in some other creative fashion - there is definitely a lot of ways to tie it back to STEM. And I think no matter what route you take, it's equally as inspiring, challenging and rewarding. 

 

Cindy: Diving a little more into what you talked about for your beginnings in tech, I read your biography and I saw that you mentioned a passion for art as a reason that you're working with computers today. This actually very similar to our picture book Breaking the Code with Gabriella, which includes information on the design process, programming, and careers in engineering and tech to get young students excited about STEM through art. Could you talk a little bit more about the role that art and other creative methods have played throughout your journey, maybe from even after you started coding, and how it shaped you as a software engineer today?  

 

Valeria: Absolutely, and I find that to be really fascinating, because I can relate to that. I was very much an artsy kid. Even if at the time I wasn’t the best at math, I just knew that I was very creative from the start. First, I would draw on a piece of paper, and then I found out that you can actually do digital art. You can get a little tablet or nowadays an iPad, and then you can just draw on your iPad and upload it to different websites and get feedback to improve on it. It was through that process that I realized, “Oh, if I learn how to code, then I can turn my pictures into characters or backgrounds in whatever game I’m making.” I thought that was completely fascinating; it allowed me to completely take control of the direction of what each project would be. I think there’s definitely a lot of power that you can have by being a creative person who can make their own art or visual elements and put that together through code.

 

Valeria: Ever since I got into the industry, though, unfortunately I haven't been able to be as creative or work with art as much while coding. But, I think the creative mind is still there, and I think that when I look for solutions day-to-day, I try to think outside the box. I think it has also helped me if I want to do something outside of my day-to-day job, such as social media. I think being creative has helped to push forward my message, which I want to get across to other people, especially when it comes to introducing new concepts to people who are just learning how to code. This has also helped me with activities outside of my job, such as social media. Being creative has pushed forward the message I want to convey, especially when introducing new concepts to people who are just learning how to code.

 

Cindy: I know that the creative problem-solving process is very important. From debugging and being able to find a more efficient way to do things, there are a lot of intersections between art and programming. Take, for example, animation. There are a lot of different roles that if you're interested in both [art and coding], you could take. You mentioned digital art, which sounds really exciting.  What exactly does that involve?

 

Valeria: Personally, it was when I first started out. I was scanning my drawings using a scanner, and then I would use my mouse to trace everything and paint it through with Photoshop. But then, eventually, I remember I got a Wacom, a tablet, so I would draw on the computer, looking at the screen, while my hand was moving, so it was a little more complicated.

 

Valeria: But I think nowadays, people can work on art projects directly on their iPad, which makes it a lot easier because it's like drawing on paper. I would say it was mostly illustrations [I used to do]. I would do a lot of scenery or draw up my own characters. Then, with the characters in the scenery, I would turn my art into some kind of flash project or flash game.

 

Valeria: But I do know there’s some people that actually code art: some people use CSS to produce art, which I haven’t really delved into too much, but I find that to be fascinating. It's another way to find that in-between of coding and art.

Cindy: I know I myself have seen artwork that's just made with code, and it's very exciting and interesting. It's crazy to think that something so technical can create something you might not even think would connect. I think being able to merge something creative with tech is a really cool and interesting bridge to explore.

 

Cindy: Diving a little bit into your current career, could you speak a little bit about your role for young listeners? What does your day-to-day work look like, and what might they be able to envision themselves doing in the future?

 

Valeria: So, I'm a software engineer at a tech startup, and we actually work remotely for the most part. There might be a couple of days a month when we do have to go to the office, but for the most part, we're all living in completely separate places.

 

Valeria: I usually start off with standups, which is where you break down the progress you've made and see if you need any help from your co-workers. So, it’s just daily updates. After that, you break down the project into what is called a task or a ticket. You work on that throughout the rest of your day. It might be complete silent coding, or you might pair up with another coworker to do some pair programming. They might just help you out, and you could share your screen. You might have to go into a meeting - and this isn’t always the case - but I deal with a lot of clients. It is a very client-facing role, where I have to be really careful with what I say. I also try to understand the project as someone who might not know too many technical terms, so I translate the work into non-technical terms. It is a lot more communication than what most people might expect for a technical role.

 

Cindy: Definitely, I think there's a lot to be said about being able to translate technical coding terms into something that someone without any prior knowledge can understand. This applies not only for clients but also in education, with being able to help younger students understand [coding concepts]. Then, throughout your career, have there been any challenges that you faced as a woman in what I know is a male-dominated field—programming—and how did you overcome them? 

 

Valeria: Absolutely, I mean from the second that I stepped out of college and got into my first role, I could already tell that I was different. I was different in terms of personality and background. Being a woman, there were some higher ups who were overseeing my project that could also tell [that I was different], and then because of that, their unconscious bias put me in difficult positions, where I would be the only woman in the room and then they would automatically just treat me as their secretary or notetaker, or just really not speak to me in a way that showed any respect for me as a coworker. There are definitely a lot of times when you are just going to feel this negative feeling that there's something wrong but no one else is saying anything. But you just don't feel right. 

 

Valeria: Unfortunately, sometimes you can't even rely on the other people at work, because they don't get it because you're the only woman. So that's when you're going to have to rely on yourself, maybe people outside of your role—friends, family, ex-co-workers, ex-classmates—to kind of make you understand that you're not crazy for noticing that you are being treated differently from the rest of your co-workers and that you need to say something to your manager, or even get things escalated. Sometimes even if you do say something, things are not taken seriously. Then sometimes, it is time to look for a different role. That's what happened to me at my last job that I could not take. A person that kept mistreating me, [and management] not taking me seriously. So then I quit, and then everyone was suddenly like, "Oh no Val, we really value your work", and I'm like "Nope, I'm going to go somewhere where I actually do feel—or at least from what I've seen in the interviews and with speaking with newer co-workers—that I am going to be treated much better 

 

Cindy: I think what you said about being able to recognize that something's wrong and then having that supportive community around you, or maybe some people outside your job that you can relate to, is very important. Maybe they’re in other companies, and they're experiencing something similar. You have to recognize, “It's not just me. We're in this together, and we should probably speak up about it and be able to express our feelings and do something about it.” 

 

Cindy: Speaking of that community, I know that you're active on social media, helping aspiring programmers by sharing tips and giving insights into your job. What is something that you hope to accomplish through your social media and how do you hope to impact the next generation of young coders?

 

Valeria: What I hope to accomplish—and I feel I have in a way accomplished, given that I've received a lot of messages from young girls that are saying “I chose computer science because of you, or I just got my first internship and I watch your videos back in 2020.” It's been a while since I've been on social media, so I can already see the fruits of that.  I am very thankful that I decided to do this, and I hope to change the way that tech is seen. I hope that not only that outsiders can see tech as “Oh, it's not a place just for guys after all, but also so that other women or underrepresented people.” I want them to feel comfortable joining this industry and feel they can say something against the barriers or the things that they don't find to be okay. You don't necessarily have to conform to the people or to the typical nerdy programmer who dedicates their entire life to coding and doesn't do anything else.  You can balance it out and you can be whoever you want to be, and code [at the same time]. You can be introduced to coding through fun methods; you don't have to be doing only lead coding every single day. That's not the only way that you're going to get better at code. There's just so much more out there and the way that it was placed in such a box, I think made it super unappealing to a lot of people. Overall it is a great industry to be in despite the flaws here and there and I'm glad that people are starting to see that you don't have to conform in order to join this industry. 

 

Cindy: Definitely. I think especially for coding because it's such a very demanding and very difficult field. That's true for a lot of other STEM careers too. I think science, engineering, and mathematics all seem to have a really high barrier of entry. But with people like you sharing their stories and sharing advice and tips for those who want to get into those fields, it helps younger students see themselves in the industry in the future and actually want to pursue it. So, I think social media has definitely been able to spread the message even further, beyond just one city. So, if there was one piece of career-related advice you could give to your middle school self or your younger self, what would it be?

 

Valeria: It absolutely would be to just keep persevering, even if you're not the most disciplined person. Sometimes people come up to me and say, "Oh, you must have been so disciplined and done everything right." I'm like, "No, I was actually a mess." But I kept pushing and I kept persevering, even though people told me, "You're bad at math, you can't do this, you can't do that." I kept persevering, but the whole time I felt guilt and insecurity. I wish I could tell my middle school self, "Just have fun. It's going to work out. Just keep pushing, and it's going to work out. It might not be immediate, it might take longer, but it doesn't matter as long as you get to the end goal. Don't let anybody stop you or make you feel bad." I would also say to take care of my mental health. I hope that middle schoolers and high school students, especially with all the pressure of applying to colleges and trying to be the best candidates for everything, know this. For example, I didn't get into the college I wanted to or the scholarships I wanted, and things still worked out for me. So I think as long as you just keep persevering, don't be so hard on yourself for not getting to the top or the very best, because sometimes things just end up working out. Mental health should always be a priority. Never feel like you're breaking down because of all the stress. I definitely wish I would have enjoyed my teenage years a little bit more and been a little bit more relaxed.

 

Cindy: Absolutely, because I think even if you get tons of rejections—I know I personally, and I’m sure a lot of others can relate to this—it's really only a true rejection if you quit or stop working towards your dream. In the end, I feel that if you keep working at it, it will eventually work out. I think that's a very valuable piece of advice.

 

Cindy: Building off of that, what specific advice would you give to young girls who are looking to get involved with programming and computers?

 

Valeria: I would say to look for a way to get involved that is most fun to you personally. For me, it was making little Flash games. I know Flash is dead, but there are other options for people who want to make their own games. I know there are things like Unity nowadays, but maybe that's not how you want to express your creativity. Maybe there's another source of creativity, or maybe you have something in mind. Maybe you want to help people. Through coding, you can create an app that achieves that goal. Don't do things just because “It’s going to look good on my resume, it’s going to look good for other people to see.” Do things that help with your learning and make you have fun. You actually care about those things, and that's going to push you to have something you can talk about in interviews. People can tell when you care about something versus when you're doing something just to impress someone else.

 

Cindy: I agree, because being able to have something you're really interested in—especially at the beginning [of your life], when you're in middle school or early high school—being able to have something you're super passionate about and genuinely interested in, really only fuels you to persevere despite any difficulties that might come your way. 

 

Cindy: Well, thank you so much for speaking with me today! 

 

Valeria: Thank you so much for inviting me too!