During the pandemic, Abby, began to take stock of her career as a mid-level manager working for the Federal government. She quickly realized tech is the future and the best pivot for her and her family because it is also portable, and she aspires to one day be a Digital Nomad Family traveling the world. Abby had already done the college route and in her pivot to tech she sought out immersive programs to get her up and ready as quickly as possible. Then, Abby found out about Interapt from a Twitter alert and pursued the opportunity.
When asked what she liked most about learning during the Interapt Skills program, Abby asserted it allowed her to “push forward each day.” She loved how the support network was baked into the program and, she could ask for help and get different perspectives. These were components that were missing from her initial self-study path which made it harder to stay on track with progress and meet milestones. “The program helped me to get to my goal faster,” says Abby. “I could not have foreseen what I could learn in 12 weeks. Being able to take an idea to completion has been really satisfying.” Abby loves the creative aspect of tech and being able to “see [ideas] come to life on a computer” as this is something that was lacking in her previous role. In fact, for her capstone project, Abby took her inspiration from real life, to develop an application to take the paper daily summary and behavior reports that she receives from her toddler’s childcare center and turn them into a paperless digital report.
Abby wants to see others succeed and realizes there is a great opportunity for more gender diversity in technology. “Getting more gender parity in tech would help improve tech outcomes, innovation, pay equity, work & life balance, specifically work-life balance for mothers.” Abby hopes we can end certain conversations for the next generation of women and that they don’t have to fight the same battles in the workplace. Abby looks forward to starting her new career in tech and adding value to the team and taking advantage of the mentoring program. She hopes to one day give back and mentor others. Abby, declares, “I am glad Interapt is providing this opportunity and I am thankful because I had a lot to lose.” She advises others, “you’re not stuck, you can always change your path. It’s risky. But you can always change your path.” This is exactly what Abby wants to model for her family and was able to achieve through the Interapt Skills program.
“Remember, you’re not stuck, you can always change your path. It’s risky. But you can always change your path.”
-Abby Henes, recent Interapt Skills Graduate
Q: What do you think you are good at?
“I’m a list maker by nature…checking things off a list is kinda my jam.”
Q: Were there challenging times during the program?
“While learning Java, it stretched my brain cells a lot than ever before in a really long time. After completing, 4 hours of homework each night, I could see the payoff at the end.”
Q: What is one thing you couldn’t wait to brag about?
“Our first project that other people could use. It was great to show off.”
Q: How do you feel about starting your first job in tech?
“I’m equal parts excited and terrified. This is my first new job in 9 years, and I am feeling new job jitters.”
Q: What are you most excited about in your new career?
“Excited to learn on the job and see how my new skills will apply in the work environment. Can’t wait to add value and help the team succeed.”
If you’re interested in learning more about our program or working with Interapt for your next project and hiring great talent like Abby, you can contact us through our website or reach out via email (info@interapt.com) or phone (502-251-1511).
