Before i.c.stars I was working and volunteering at my son’s school. Money was tight but I was getting by, then Covid hit and everything shut down. I had to find something but didn’t know what was out there.
I first learned about i.c.stars from a friend of mine. She’d graduated from the program and told me it was great, life-changing, even. I thought, hum I wonder if this is something I could do? My son was taking a coding class for middle school and that was very interesting for me. I was always good at solving puzzles. I loved puzzles and I could see where the code was off, even if I didn’t know coding. In my house, I was called Ms. Electronics because I could fix anything, set up the internet or TV. So I was interviewed for the i.c.stars program and I was excited right away. My cohort was great, it felt like being in a community of puzzle solvers. We bonded and helped each other work through the problems. Ic.stars was a great experience. The people there want to help you succeed. You make friends who become your friends in life, too.
Now I work for a very interesting software firm, Relativity, as a Sourcer in Human Resources. They develop software that helps dig through piles of documents and emails to find the information needed for the legal case or just to detect misconduct before it escalates. I know that I can grow in my skills and advance in this company. Every day is interesting for me now because I solve puzzles all day long. I am good at my job. Connecting people to resources is my true passion and drives my community work. Fairness and justice also move my spirit and lead me to start a neighborhood garden. It is part of a mission to combat the violence and trauma that plagues my neighborhood. The kids grow vegetables and learn healthy eating. I get to know them and can talk about my job, my career. I give back to my community through our neighborhood garden. I feel that I am a servant leader in my community, successful, happy, and hopeful.