Breaking the Ceiling I Thought I’d Never Reach

Before Tech-Moms, my life was defined by survival and determination. I had gone through a divorce while pregnant and was doing everything I could to keep climbing to give a better life for my daughter. I got remarried and started a new family. I was working relentlessly, trying to find the next job, the next opportunity, anything that would pay a little more and offer a little more stability. I was putting my husband through school while working full time, raising four children, and constantly feeling like I was pushing against a ceiling I couldn’t break through.

Samea and her Family

With only a high school diploma, I eventually hit a point where it felt like I had capped out my “worth.” No matter how hard I worked, no matter how much responsibility I took on, the pay didn’t change. I was exhausted mentally, physically, emotionally and just felt stuck. Then my daughter’s godmother told me about Tech-Moms and what it had done for her life. Something about her story made me pause. I didn’t know exactly what Tech-Moms was, but I knew I had to see it for myself. As a full-time working mom of four, Saturday classes felt like the one commitment I could make. So I signed up. I was equal parts hopeful and terrified. I still remember the very first day of class. I walked out feeling like I could conquer the world.

SheTech Conference 2024

The room was filled with women from completely different backgrounds, each carrying their own story, their own struggles, their own reasons for being there. There were tears that day as we introduced ourselves, not because we were weak, but because we were honest. What we all shared was a deep desire for something more: to feel more, to do more, to be more.

That first day, Trina, Robbyn, and Mikel gave us exactly what we needed to hear to get through what was coming next. They didn’t sugarcoat the work, but they made us believe we belonged there.

Learning to code was hard. There were moments I wanted to quit, moments where my code wouldn’t work, my confidence wavered, and I felt “dumb” for even asking questions. But one piece of advice from that first day stayed with me: “Just show up.”

So I did.

I kept showing up. I kept asking questions. I kept pushing through the discomfort, even when it would have been easier to walk away. And when I finally completed my website and presented it at graduation, it didn’t feel like an ending, it felt like the beginning.

Samea and 2.0 Data Analytics instructor, Kelsey Taylor, at Graduation

After completing the foundational course, I knew I wasn’t done. I went on to enroll in the Tech-Moms 2.0 Data Analytics course, eager to keep building on the momentum I had found and to deepen my skills in a way that aligned with where I wanted my career to go. Tech-Moms gave me a new sense of accomplishment and lit a fire in me to want even more.

The phrase “Once a Tech-Mom, always a Tech-Mom” means everything to me because Tech-Moms didn’t end when the class did. It became my village. This community carried me through a layoff. It gave me my first opportunity to speak on the radio. It taught me the power of networking and opened doors to rooms and tables I never believed I belonged at.

Today, my life looks very different. My income has increased by 150% and I am now working for my dream company, Adobe. But beyond the income, Tech-Moms gave me confidence, grit, and a true sense of belonging. It reminded me that my story matters and that my background is not a limitation, it’s a strength.

I will always be grateful for this community and the women who continue to lift each other up long after the course ends.

Once a Tech-Mom, always a Tech-Mom.