My name is Holly Lampert, and I am a Software Engineer. I worked in a team focused on building the website and recently transitioned to a team focusing on software for the commercial arm of the business.
This is the story of how I got to where I am today. Let’s begin with the question “Have I always been into technology?”. For me this isn’t a straightforward answer. I have fond memories of going to the IT suite when I was in primary school, but I didn’t grow up in a household that was surrounded by technology. Both of my siblings are involved in the world of tech. My brother is a Software Engineer Tester, and my sister is a Computer Science champion at the primary school she works at. I am lucky that both have always inspired me and continue to do so to this day.
Fast forward to secondary school and I still felt the same excitement of going to the IT suite just like I did in primary school. So, when it came to picking my GCSEs, I decided that IT would be one of my choices. During my GCSEs I was also participating in the Duke of Edinburgh award for which I needed to learn a new skill, and I struggled to pick one. My IT teacher knew I enjoyed our lessons so he suggested learning Python and so I began learning it through Codecademy. When I began learning Python, it opened my eyes to the possibilities of what I could do for work. These possibilities made me excited for what the future might hold and helped keep me moving forward in my journey. At some point during the course, I felt like it became too hard, and I was no longer following what was happening. This caused me to have some self-doubt, and I began to tell myself I couldn’t do it. I didn’t want this to be the end. A part of me still knew I could do this.
