Photo: Coral Von Zumwait
Aimee Morgan proves that it is never too late to learn a new skill, even a challenging one.
Computer Programming seems like a field for whiz-kid hackers, not a 30-something Stanford University Libraries archivist who says she was a "hard-core English major in college." But hoping to pick up technical skills she could use on the job, Aimee Morgan, 35, of Mountain View, California enrolled in an online course to learn Python, a popular programming language—and loved it. She thought about a career in computers but assumed that "to succeed, you had to have learned to program at age 11." Then she found Hackbright Academy, a coding boot camp that teaches software development to women. In her group of 25 students, Morgan was one of a few who were older than 30. But she forged ahead, and her skills landed her an entry-level job at Flixster, a website where users watch and rate movies. All her coworkers are more experienced but supportive. "What really matters is my progress now," says Morgan, "how I'm doing compared with a year or a month ago—and reaching my potential with the time I have."

Her Advice for Would-Be Techies
"Don't listen to anyone who says you'll never be worth anything unless you started programming in junior high. The tech field is big, and there's room for a lot of people."

The Best Thing About Being Her Age
"When I was younger, it was tough admitting to things I didn't know. Now that I'm older, it's easier to deal with that initial frustration."


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