Ashley Padilla's Digital story

from Minecraft to Microsoft my coding journey I was about 10 years old when I made the best decision of My Life Begin playing Minecraft Minecraft caused my love for computers early on I was obsessed with it playing for more than 7 years I even began playing competitively on my laptop and quickly started to uncover how much I truly loved technology I was amazed that the behind the scenes of websites and video games Looking Back Now I had become passionate about coding before even knowing the proper ter for it because of my new Found Love for Tech I got really fast at typing with this new skill paired with my long hour sitting in front of a screen I was soon recommended to pursue computer science after I was informed on what computer science was I became driven to include technology in my future however my school didn't offer computer science as a course I didn't let that stop me though so much so that I built a PC out of other people's trash because we couldn't afford one at the time I was a bit embarrassed but I was still joke around calling it my trash PC I remember writing my college application on the feeling that I got when I quoted my first snake game a PLM Discord bot and more my trash PC wasn't at all flashy but it got me through it all gaming virtual classic during the pandemic my first internship with Pinterest and college applications my experiences have not only shape my technical skills but have also taught me valuable lessons on the importance of pursuing one's passions relentlessly I was even able to secure a couple of internships with Microsoft even though I know that during my first and second internships it would have saved me a lot of trouble if I had just asked for help I advocated for myself and more I was extreme afraid of being deemed as incapable or unprepared however I gradually learned that seeking assistance is a strength not weakness it's a vital part of growth and development in any career Journey now fast forward to today I can't believe how far I've come from building my own PC to returning to Microsoft as a three-time big Tech in turn each step has taken me a leap towards fulfilling my dreams my professional and academic careers have taken me farther than I have ever imagined I look back and realize I'm not the person I was before I have grown more confident than ever though I still have gloomy days I choose to embrace them rather than let them bring me down I see the flashes of imposture syndrome as something that pushes me to strive for Greater Heights and as a reminder to look back on how much I've already achieved I'm excited for what the future holds ready to tackle new challenges and continue making my mark in the tech World pretty funny how a decision I made at 10 years old continues to influence my journey [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music]