Your Django Story: Meet Yamila Moreno Suárez

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

Yamila is a Python and Django developer. She cofounded and currently works at http://kaleidos.net, a Madrid-based venture delivering free software for innovative projects. She particpates in open source communities in Madrid where she lives and is part of Pyladies Spain. You can follow her @yamila_moreno.

What did you do before becoming a programmer?

Since I was a little girl my vocation was reading and writing. I read as much as I could, and wrote about any idea which crossed my mind: from the funny to the absurd. There are few things more important than a true vocation.

So when I went to university I decided to follow my dream and studied Spanish Philology and I got my degree in Literature Theory and Comparated Literature (I swear it’s an actual career).

I moved to Madrid from my small town in the North of Spain. I continued my studies and knew lots of people; one of them specially helped me to change my path. I knew him from the Spanish Tolkien Society (love reading and storytelling…), and we became friends. He taught me about Open Source, helped me with my first Knoppix, and LateX, and command line (simple bash scripts were like the most awesome magic).

 

How did your story with code start?

When I was finishing my university studies I was satisfied with my literature career, but I knew I didn’t want to work as a teacher (the easiest job for this degree). So I decided I had to study a bachelors degree, to be prepared for another kind of jobs.

It didn’t really mattered to me what to study, so I looked for advice about studying hairdressing, mechanics or programming. The same good friend recommended for me to study programming; I trusted his judgement and studied the basics of programming for two years. Soon I was enjoying my new knowledge and I found out a brand new vocation and this time I was willing to work with it.

 

What do you love the most about coding?

Solving specific issues. I was used to reading, and thinking about abstract or philosophical topics and coding was actually solving problems. Small ones at first, and bigger tools as I grew as a coder.

Coding is always changing: new languages or just the same old languages with more attention, new frameworks; flame wars! (Groovy vs Python in my office; just like old grouchy enemies ^_^). The fact is that you can learn something new everyday, it’s a constant challenge.

 

Why Django?

When I joined my first FOSS team they needed me to learn Python and Django. It wasn’t my decision but I can see that, for a total newbie, Python and Django are a winner combo: you are quickly making complex webs or scripts. It’s very well documented and has a big community ready to help.

 

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

In my spare time, I maintain http://www.tutasadeparo.es, a website which shows statistics about unemployment in Spain (with Django and R!!); I’m becoming the web master (it’s sooo from the 90s) of Python Madrid and Python Spain. I try to contribute to the open source community with code (less than I would like) or participating in some communities (as Pyladies Spain or Agile Girls) to encourage women to get into tech as far as they want. Yes, we code!

In my daily job, I work as a Django developer, with awesome colleagues; this last year, we have been working on a tourist platform.

 

What are you the most proud of?

Proud is an ambiguous feeling for me; still I can mention some achievements: I taught my brother the pleasure of reading, I had the opportunity of helping friends who really needed it, I was at the beginning of Kaleidos (a dream which still remains), and last year I was part of the First PyConES, which was a big success for the Python spanish community.

 

What are you curious about?

Lately I have been very interested in the “Internet of Things” fashion: it’s funny and this technology has reached everyone, no matter their origin or gender. It’s cheap, well documented and you have it “libre”. I love the idea that, with few resources, it’s possible to make the most of your creativity.

 

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

My hobbies are mainstream: reading, traveling, geocaching, hiking, going into the nature, riding my bike, did I say hiking? These days, I’m learning roller skating and diving. I like to mix open air activities with others like learning about programming, making community, attend events, and cooking.

 

Do you have any advice/tips for programming beginners?

I think that joining a local group, to share, ask ,and code together is a good way to keep the motivation high and continue improving. Also it’s important to find something of your interest, something which amuses you, so the technology is a way to take this another hobby to a greater depth.

Thanks Yamila! :)

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