Savannah Worth: From Neopets to IBM – With a Little Help In Between

Savannah Worth started coding when she was just twelve years old. You have to know HTML in order to personalize backgrounds on the Neopets game site she frequented, so she taught herself, and started making some incredible, and often sparkly effects on her pages. However that fad eventually faded and she completely lost her interest in programming, opting instead to pursue a Creative Writing BA during her time at Colorado College.

It wasn’t until she saw some of the exciting things that her younger brother was doing with his computer science degree that her inspiration was sparked once more. That enthusiasm prompted her to enter Galvanize’s gSchool, where she earned her certification as a Full Stack Web Developer in Ruby on Rails in just six months. She also joined the Denver branch of Women Who Code at that time, where she found a community that helped to support and mentor her through the process.

Just one month after she completed her training she was able to secure a position with IBM as a Bluemix Garage Software Developer. There she works with clients to build web apps and deploy them using Bluemix technology. She even recently had a chance to work with the Personality Insights API to create a cover letter assistance app that allows users to input text from a company they are interested in applying for, in order to gain insight about the values of that particular organization so that they can customize their cover letters accordingly.

However the transition from liberal arts to the world of tech hasn’t always been easy for Savannah. She suffers from a mild social anxiety, and often finds it difficult to interact and communicate with the people she needs in order to succeed. Luckily Women Who Code has been able to help this issue, giving her a supportive, collaborative environment while also connecting her with a network of women who genuinely want to see her succeed. That has dramatically improved her confidence, both in her work, and her own sense of personal value.

Today Savannah continues to succeed and grow in her career, while also giving back to the community that helped her reach such success. She is currently a mentor for the same gSchool where she first learned to code, and she is actively trying to get involved with Railsbridge. She is also still a member of Women Who Code, where she provides the kind of support and inspiration which once helped her overcome her own challenges.

When asked what advice she would give to women looking to enter the tech industry, Savannah said, “Never be afraid to reach out. I’ve spoken to many women, especially those who are just getting started with coding, and many struggle to find the confidence they need. But just remember, there is an awesome community out here, and we’re ready to help.”