JUDITH STEWART

JUDITH STEWART | Senior Software Developer | Dunedin

Q. Girls and non-binary children often find it hard to see a pathway for themselves into a coding career. How did you get into coding? What is one piece of advice you have for them?

When I was a kid I used to be really into customising web pages on websites like Neopets and MySpace. This, in combination with a love for problem-solving, lead towards a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Computer Science at Otago University. The skills I had learned as a kid were invaluable, and I was fortunate enough to land a software developer job soon after I had finished.

My piece of advice is to not be afraid to ask for help. Keep an open mind, be willing to learn, and seek out communities that you can lean on – this is especially important if you feel isolated in your group. Having someone external to talk to and support you can really make a difference!

“Keep an open mind, be willing to learn,
and seek out communities that you can lean on”

Q. Tell us about a rad piece of code that you’ve written? What piece of code are you most proud of in your career so far?

Almost all of what I have written has been at the workplace, so I can't go into specifics unfortunately, but two things I absolutely love are working on brand new projects and refactoring old code. New projects are always a fun creative exercise where you have a blank slate and you can just start building towards a vision. It’s also a great way to try out new languages and technology!

Refactoring old code is incredibly satisfying and can breathe new life into what once was a clunky mess. Who doesn't love a good clean house?

Q. What big dreams do you have as a coder? What are you aspiring to do next?

There’s so much still to learn! I want to keep learning new languages and really broaden my range of what I can do. I also have a personal project bouncing around in my head – to create a computer game/mobile app based on a card game I have invented. Judith codes in C#, Angular, and Javascript.