RTC has been one of those rare communities where I’ve actually felt seen and supported. It’s not just about tech talks or career tips — it’s about having people who get it. The doubts, the imposter moments — there’s always someone who understands. As a woman in tech, finding that kind of belonging matters so much. Sometimes you’re the only woman in the room, and that can feel isolating. But being part of RTC reminds me that there’s a whole network of women out there cheering each other on, sharing opportunities, and lifting each other up. For me, success isn’t a job title or a salary number. It’s waking up excited about what I’m building, learning something new, and helping someone else along the way. RTC has played a big role in shaping that version of success for me.

I’m a Hispanic, first-generation woman in tech, and being part of RTC has honestly changed so much for me. When I first started studying computer science, I constantly felt like I was playing catch-up, like everyone else already knew what they were doing, and I was just trying to find my place. Through RTC, I found women who looked like me, who shared similar stories, and who reminded me that I do belong here. That sense of community has kept me grounded through tough classes and endless debugging sessions. Rewriting the Code has opened doors I didn’t even know existed. The mentorship programs, Slack channels, and networking events have not only helped me grow technically, but they’ve also given me the confidence to put myself out there. Because of RTC, I’ve found internships and connected with women who push me to aim higher every single day. Finding community and belonging matters so much as a woman in tech, especially when you’re often one of the few in the room. Having a space where I can be honest about my struggles and still feel celebrated for my wins has made all the difference. RTC isn’t just a professional network — it feels like a sisterhood where we lift each other up and remind one another that our voices matter. To me, success isn’t just landing the dream job or the big title. It’s about growing into a version of myself that I’m proud of: someone who can turn around and help the next girl who feels lost, just like I once did. Success is seeing more women, especially women of color, taking up space in tech and knowing I played even a small part in that change.

Growing up as a first generation Muslim women in tech, I always felt a lack of community and belonging. In college I was fortunate enough to volunteer and be a part of various clubs where I could find this sense of community. Now that I am working, sometimes it feels a bit different. I board the red line train every morning at 7:14am sharp, like a mindless toad on a log. As I go about my daily 45 minute commute, I can’t help but look around and wonder about those around me. Do they also work in tech? Why are they going to work so early? Do they have a stable job in this economy? I think about these mundane questions almost everyday like clockwork, picking at my own brain to feel a sense of something. For the longest time I couldn’t help but wonder why I always questioned so much stuff on the train, and then it hit me. I was seeking a sense of community, trying to relate to these people I see everyday at the same time. And that’s when I decided to join RTC, and since then I feel like I have found a sense of belonging. I found answers to these questions, not in a literal sense, but through a sense of community. It gave me guidance and reassurance, a space to explore and seek advice. I was able to reach out to other members and make friends, and hear their stories. So TLDR, RTC has given me a family in my post college apocalypse of questions. Before I didn’t know how to navigate the work world, and felt lost very often. That’s why I think it’s so important to have a community as women in tech. Through RTC I have found friends, advice, and resources that have helped me in my pursuit for feeling “normal” in a not so normal time in corporate America. For me, this ease that RTC has given me is success. Success to me is being comfortable in my current stage of life, not panicking and crashing out in corporate America, and having other women who hear, empathize, and relate to me. Success for me used to be about making sure I was employed and at the top of everything, but now I see the importance and value seeking the bigger picture, because sometimes if you miss the bigger picture you get lost. And I’m grateful that RTC has given me this guidance to not feel lost in a huge world. Now I feel less lost on my commute, not only on the train but on the world :)) (commute photo attached)

I joined RTC last year when I was a junior university student. One of my biggest challenges, back then, was the lack of opportunities. But after joining RTC, I started actively following the opportunities shared on the Slack channel, attended workshops shared by members, and applied for several programs, like the AWS She Builds Mentorship Program 2025. Through RTC’s mentorship program, I also got my resume reviewed, which helped me pass resume screenings and land interviews with Google and Amazon last year, and Bloomberg this year. I was also privileged to receive annual LinkedIn Premium and a 3-month Neetcode Premium subscription through RTC. I was able to message recruiters directly because of the linkedin premium, and I learned System Design(this knowledge has been helping me a lot when I architect my projects) because of the neetcode supscription I got offered from RTC. Beyond opportunities, the community support has been very heartwarming. Seeing RTC members celebrate my wins, like when I passed the AWS Solutions Architect Certification exam or landed my first freelancing client, is a wholesome experience. Being featured in the Community Wins and Meet Series posts also gave me great exposure. I have tried to give back too, I used to share company-specific LeetCode problems when I had premium access to help other members prepare. After experiencing how empowering this supportive women-in-tech community is, I decided to take that spirit back to my campus. I’m now the Training Program Manager for our campus women’s club, "Thrive", a space dedicated to uplifting women in tech. When I was a DSA trainee at Africa to Silicon Valley (A2SV), there were moments I doubted if tech was really for me, mostly because during weekly contests, the top rankers were always men. Situations like that can make you feel like you don’t belong. But seeing RTC women in the community getting into Apple, Big Tech, and doing incredible things constantly reminds me that I do belong. That’s why communities like RTC really matter. To me, success means being financially stable in a career I love and value, while also being a source of help, inspiration, and happiness for others, because I find a big satisfaction in the impact I have on people.

I joined RTC in college during the pandemic, at a time when I felt deeply isolated. Meeting new people, hearing their stories, and having a space to ask questions and share advice helped me feel connected again. RTC gave me a community when I needed it most, and I still stay involved because it continues to be a meaningful source of support. There's a saying that you may go fast alone but you can only go far with others. I really believe that now, and view success as rooted in connection. My story and experiences matter, and success means using them to lift up my community, whether through engaging in RTC conversations or representing RTC in my workplace and beyond. True success is shared progress, not solitary achievement.

At first, I heard about RTC from a friend on campus. After I joined, I received a lot of support. The first opportunity was getting LinkedIn Premium last year, and the second and most overwhelming opportunity was getting the chance to participate in NSBE 2025 Chicago. RTC covered the flight, hotel, rides, and food; they handled every detail. This made me really happy to see that there is a community that supports me. Also, because I am part of RTC, I learned about the Last Mile Education Fund, which helped me at a critical time when my PC broke at the hinge in the middle of the Spring 2025 semester. Because they provided support, I got a new personal computer. I can’t express how thankful I am to RTC; they have done amazing things for me as I continue my academic journey, especially when I struggled financially. Finding a community for women matters because we feel heard, seen, and able to grow. Success, to me, is when it goes beyond the title and gives back to the community. Eyael Lera

RTC helped me connect with a lot of women in tech. They have helped me by sharing their experiences and their journey and motivated me when I was thinking I can’t make it. Success for me is currently is being paid for all the hard work I have put in so far and to help other women who are having doubts about themselves.

RTC community has supported me because it has given me confidence that is is possible to land a big tech internship and eventually a job. RTC always has many events to reach my goals. I was recently awarded in the summer neetcode for three months by RTC. This was very supportive and helpful for me. As a woman to be able to find community and belonging matter because there are hardly any women in the CS classes as it is mostly men. It is important to know one belongs. Success looks like to me to be able to mentor women and teach. This is so that they have a journey and road map that they know will eventually be realized. When I first started the CS class was full and the professor added me from the waitlist. Later I was told by this amazing professor that he added me because he felt that I belonged in that class. This amazing professor told me that I was good and that he believed in me. I remember I went home and cried out of happiness to know someone believed in me and felt I belonged in the tech community. In my mind I had no other option than to make it.

The RTC community has been my biggest support in tech in so many ways. As the first girl from both sides of my family to go into tech, I had no support or anyone to look up to or ask questions. I joined RTC a bit later, around junior year and it felt so great having met women just like me who were also first generation engineers. I was inspired by their stories and it was really great meeting them at tech crawls and other opportunities I was given. Through RTC's job fair, I got the opportunity to meet recruiters and see what companies I wanted to join. Finding community and belonging matters so much to me as someone who grew up as an older sister and with less support in tech. I feel so much more seen and less alienated as a women in tech because of the ratio of men to women in my classes. With RTC, I bond so well with the women here and I feel so fortunate to find an accepting place where I belong. To me success is where I feel finally content. My "contentness" is when I finally get a job where I feel comfortable and seen and I have stability in both family life and with my friends. Nothing else matters to me as long as I can stand on my own two feet without any dependence on anyone and if I have the time to spend with my loved ones.

How has the RTC community supported you in your journey? The RTC community has supported my journey by creating a safe and encouraging space for me to connect with other women in tech who are new to their careers! I recently moved to Seattle and also am a career changer. RTC has given me the opportunity to meet new friends, some who are even co-workers now ☺️ Why does finding community and belonging matter as a woman in tech? Finding community and belonging is so important as a woman in tech because sometimes it can be hard to see yourself fitting into the tech space and imposter syndrome can kick in. Knowing that there is a community who shares similar experiences and people we can connect with and learn from is very inspiring. What does success look like to you? To me, success looks like being in a space where you are happy, feel supported, learning every day, and have a strong community.

The RTC community has been a constant source of encouragement and growth throughout my journey in tech. From thoughtful workshops to supportive peers and mentors, I’ve found a space that not only celebrates technical achievement but also uplifts the voices behind the code. Being surrounded by people who genuinely believe in collaboration over competition has pushed me to take creative risks, explore new technologies, and advocate for others along the way. Finding community and belonging matters deeply as a woman in tech because it reminds us that we are never alone in navigating the challenges of underrepresentation. A strong community turns isolation into empowerment, it transforms doubt into confidence and creates room for shared learning, mentorship, and authentic connection. Spaces like RTC show that belonging isn’t something to search for, it’s something we build together. To me, success isn’t defined solely by personal milestones or titles; it’s about creating impact that extends beyond myself. It looks like building tools that make a difference, mentoring other young women, and continuously learning with curiosity and humility. True success is when I can look around and see more women empowered to take up space in tech, just as RTC empowered me to do.

1) I first heard about Rewriting the Code through another student in SHPE at my university. At the time, I was still trying to figure out where to start in tech like what roles existed, how to build the right skills, and how to eventually land a job. Joining RTC gave me both direction and confidence. I appreciated the opportunity to attend office hours with recruiters from major companies and ask questions about what they look for in candidates. The social meetups also helped me connect with other women in computer science who share similar dreams and struggles. Being part of RTC has made me feel more confident and proud of who I am, a first-generation, low-income Latina woman in tech carving her own path. 2) In the past, I’ve had uncomfortable experiences at career fairs where men focused more on asking me out than on my skills or goals. That’s why having a strong network of women in tech matters so deeply. It creates a space where I can feel safe, respected, and inspired. We understand each other’s challenges and lift each other up when the industry feels isolating. Through RTC, I’ve also learned how to manage burnout and discovered empowering opportunities like the Harvard WECode experience, where I got to meet exceptional women, students, and representatives from companies that truly value inclusion. Without communities like this, many women might leave the field altogether. It really does take a community to raise someone. 3) To me, success means earning a role at a major tech company where I can become an expert in my craft, and then turning around to mentor the next generation of women in tech. My journey hasn’t been easy. I was told not to pursue computer science because I didn’t receive STEM education in high school, and at one point, I was even removed from my college’s engineering program. But I found the strength to come back, prove myself, and keep going. I would tell my younger self to never take “no” as an answer. Every challenge I’ve faced has made me more determined to create the representation and community I once needed.

Rewriting the Code has been such an important part of my journey since the very start of my master’s. When I joined, I was just trying to find my place - new country, new environment, a lot of uncertainty. But RTC instantly made me feel like I belonged. Over time, it’s brought me amazing friendships, mentorship, and so many opportunities to grow. Volunteering as a Hub Leader and hosting events has been one of my favorite parts. I loved being able to create those same connections for others - bringing people together, sharing stories, and seeing that sense of support come to life. As a woman in tech, having a community like RTC really matters. It’s easy to feel like you’re figuring everything out on your own, but being part of a group that celebrates your wins and lifts you up when things get tough makes such a difference. To me, success isn’t just about reaching big milestones - it’s about growing, learning, and helping others along the way. RTC has really shaped that perspective for me. It’s shown me that success feels the best when it’s shared, and when you’re surrounded by people who want to see you thrive.

Success looks like having a strong community around you that is there for you and can support you no matter where you are in your career. RTC helped me meet new people when I was interning at Amazon in Seattle this past summer, as well as helping me further my career during the career networking/resume review sessions.

As a woman in tech in a country like Pakistan, interacting in a tech-related community has been an overwhelming process for me, but ever since I've started socialising in RTC and making use of their knowledgeable events, I feel more like a part of a community than ever. The events are perfect as they're not too long and provide so much important information about excelling in your career, such as going to conferences, resume making, applying for jobs, etc. I have also received mentorship through RTC, and it was extremely helpful, and most importantly, the environment was really welcoming. I have started seeing changes in myself as a person as well, including not being too overwhelmed with the thought of turning on my mic and/or the camera to interact with people from all over the world, as well as share my ideas and thoughts without fear of judgment. For me, success looks like a point in my life where I can proudly say, "it was all worth it", and I know I'm far from it, but I wake up every day and I keep going.

The RTC community has been a big part of my growth since I started in tech. Coming from a background where I didn’t have many examples to look up to, being surrounded by people who genuinely want to see you succeed made a huge difference. They encouraged me to share my projects, like my first full-stack web app and my HPC research, and reminded me that I belong in spaces where I once felt out of place. Finding that sense of belonging, especially as a woman in tech, means having people who understand both the technical grind and the self-doubt that can come with it. To me, success isn’t just about landing an internship or publishing a project; it’s about constantly learning, creating something meaningful, and making sure others can grow beside me, just like RTC helped me do.