She always found technology fascinating and Java is close to her heart
Hey, Graduate! Could you please tell us a little bit about yourself?
My name is Yoana Letova and I am a Java Software Engineer at Scalefocus. I enjoy playing video games, reading books, taking long walks, yoga and spending time with my family.
How did you decide to pursue a career in IT?
Ever since I was little, I loved playing video games at home. I have vivid memories of how my dad and I argued about letting me play for 15 more minutes. It was hard for my parents to keep me off the computer.
In high school I studied computer networks and computer science, focusing on hardware. After a while I started asking myself questions like “How does the processor work? How do all the components communicate between each other?” So in order to fully answer my questions, I decided to take up programming. The language I chose was Java. Java for life...
I signed up for programming courses, read articles, wrote simple console programs to practice everything I had learned. I watched tutorials online and solved tasks.
What inspired you to apply for the Academy?
For several months I felt the need to have a senior software engineer guide me in the world of coding. Scalefocus Academy met my needs and that’s why I applied.
Was it hard to balance between the Academy and your everyday life?
No, it wasn’t hard for me at all. I was able to dedicate all my attention to programming – and since it’s my passion it didn’t feel like any kind of burden.
Did you manage to bond with the others from the Academy (students, mentor and tutors)?
Yes, I've managed to bond with most of the people from the Academy. For example, I've made a special connection with our Java tutor. We became friends at the end of the academy.
Me and some of the students from the academy actually met in person - we all had a great time in Plovdiv together.
I can't thank my mentor enough for guiding me all the way and helping through.
Highlight the top 3 most valuable lessons you’ve learned during the Academy.
Admitting that you don't know something is not shameful.
Challenge yourself every day.
Practice makes perfect.
Describe the 90-day journey with 1 word
Exciting!