Tasha Hussey | Chief Executive Turtle

Courses:

Front End Developer

Visual Designer

I started out working as a lab assistant, then a secretary, then a teacher, and eventually I moved back to office administration—my comfort zone. My degree was in liberal arts, so even though I was interested in tech, I didn’t feel like I had the confidence to actually pursue it.

Tech is a male dominated field, and I was worried about the type of respect that I would get (or wouldn’t get). Plus, you don’t really see a lot of people of color, especially women of color, coding. My fear was holding me back.

But eventually I decided, “I don’t see enough people that look like me in this field, so why not become that person?”

I thought about teaching myself to code, but then I found Skillcrush on Facebook, and I thought, “Somebody is reading my mind right now because I’ve been debating on whether I wanted to do this.” I checked out the website, and the videos were short, straight to the point, and I learned something in the first 10 minutes. I decided to pull the trigger, and it was the best decision I could have made.

I don't see enough people that look like me in this field, so why not become that person?

Skillcrush put together a structured learning path for me, which showed me what I needed to focus on and how I could actually use the skills I was learning for real projects. The support I received was also top notch. My instructors were there to give me meaningful feedback—no generic responder messages allowed! I could really feel the connection with my mentors, and I think that was really important for my success.

I now own my own WordPress development, brand identity, and web design company, Lavender Turtle Creative. I ended up earning way more money in the first two weeks of starting my business than I did in the first two years at a previous job! Plus, I feel like I finally found my voice. I now have the confidence to be able to do whatever it is that I put my mind to.

If I hadn’t taken Skillcrush classes, I would never have come this far because I would have continued to let fear and imposter syndrome hold me back. Finding a community who was going through the transition process with you, who had been there and done that, and who could speak to it, in a real way, was crucial.

I don’t think you’ll find another community like Skillcrush. I couldn’t have done it without them.