A few words about you, who are you?

I am a Software Engineer from Baja California, Mexico. I used to be Adjunct Professor at the University of Baja California.

I love working while having fun. I also love to learn new things, both personally and technically.

I like coaching and participating in workshops (e.g. Django Girls) and conferences. I love reading, watching movies, taking long walks and enjoy having life talks over coffee (or a good glass of wine).

I am a teacher at heart. I like helping students be better prepared to land on their first real Software Engineering Job and help them acquire practice on the tools, technologies and processes that companies use - at least the ones I know about =).

When and how did you get interested in coding?

I have been a book lover since I was little and I loved browsing through the bookshelf we had at my parent’s house. A little before my first year of secondary school, I found there a BASIC book that my father used for work and started looking through it. I found it very interesting and was curious to learn more, so I decided to enroll in the Informatics option at my secondary school.

There I learned Logo and Pascal.

What do you like about coding most?

I love that coding is like writing a book that is smart. Like in a good written book, I strive to structure code in a way that is readable to others and also engaging, code that is both an adventure and a delight to read.

What is currently your favourite project?

I am currently having fun learning more about testing in Python and I am using a Django Girls project to practice.

Is there a project you’re particularly proud of?

I am proud to have built a Loteria Espacial with my little sister for the NASA Space Apps Challenge 2019. She is new to programming and my JavaScript / React skills are not well developed, and I am proud of what we accomplished together. It was a great experience to both of us.

What do you like to try/learn/know?

Keeping it simple and prioritizing the things that bring more value. I recently read The Nature of Software Development and I am working on applying more of the principles in this book into my work.

I also try learning different programming languages, specially those that will help me explore different ways of thinking and solving problems.

What is your biggest challenge as a programmer?

On of my biggest challenges is admitting when I am tired and I need to stop, relax and take a break. This is particularly difficult when I am very interested and engaged into solving a problem.

Do you have role models?

Yes: Trisha Gee, Simon Maple and Scott Hanselman.

Can you recommend a book / podcast / tutorial / film or event?

Django Girls is great to learn programming in a fun and supportive environment and also to coach people who would like to learn programming surrounded by awesome people from the Python Community.

The Hanselminutes podcast is great. Very interesting conversations with people from the Tech Space and more.

The Pragmatic Programmer book is one of my favorites. Published 20 years ago and still relevant in many ways.