This is a post in our Your Django Story series where we highlight awesome ladies who work with Django. Read more about it here.

Allison is a software engineer at Eventbrite, where she has worked on everything from responsive CSS to optimizing search algorithms. She graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign with a degree in Computer Science, and then promptly ran away to Cameroon for 2.5 years. She is passionate about making the web usable for everyone.

How did your story with code start?

I started by making my own websites when I was 14. HTML gave way to CSS which was a downward slope towards learning JavaScript and programming more complex things. I started taking traditional programming classes in high school and stuck with it.

What did you do before becoming a programmer?

Depending on whether you consider making websites programming, I’ve been a programmer for a really long time! I took a break after college to join the Peace Corps, where I worked with both teachers and students to teach how to use computers. My secondary passion is making products more usable for everyone, and it was invaluable to experience a new culture and learn how they interacted with technology.

What do you love the most about coding?

That feeling when something works. When you solve a hard bug, or a difficult feature comes together. It might be a little maniacal, but it makes me feel like if I can make a computer do anything, I have the power to accomplish anything. (and then the code breaks again)

Why Django?

I’ve learned Django while working at Eventbrite, but I love the structure it imparts. Having experienced both a legacy codebase, and one with Django, I have to say I’m a huge proponent!

What cool projects are you working on at the moment/planning on working on in the near future?

Search! I’m currently working on making our algorithms surface better results faster. I’m also working on a side project to make implementing search engines a drop in product for developers and non-developers alike.

What are you the most proud of?

Maybe of trying to do the right thing; Make the world a better place, at least in tiny little steps. I’m proud of promoting accessibility everywhere I work.

What are you curious about?

What motivates people. Am I getting too far away from coding? I’m curious about data pipelines and machine learning and security and accessibility and performance. If I spent a few more minutes I could add more.

What do you like doing in your free time? What’s your hobby?

Hacking on code, but also gardening and baking and working on my motorcycle. I just got back from a 2 week long motorcycle camping adventure which was some of the most fun I’ve had in my life.

Do you have any advice/tips for programming beginners?

Don’t give up. No one knows everything, even if it seems like it sometimes. Fight through the days when you can’t get anything working for those moments of epiphany. Ask for help if you need it. Work on something that is interesting to you. Write in short sentences (just kidding).

Anna Ossowski @OssAnna16

Thanks Allison! :)