Knocking out all obstacles: Gloria’s career pivot and rise in web development

After 3 years in the transportation software industry, Gloria realized that her true passion was web development. This sparked her interest in shifting her path in that direction, and she began to explore potential next steps. That’s when she came across Lighthouse Labs’ Web Development Bootcamp, and the rest is history. Read on to find out how she made the transition from Transportation Analyst to Lead Full-Stack Engineer, fueling her journey with discipline, support, and even self-confidence lessons from boxing.

Mapping the dots from GIS to web development

With her background in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), working for a student transportation software company was initially a great fit. Gloria was part of the Client Services team, and as time went on, she learned more about the software side of the business — and she was hooked. “My interest in software grew,” she describes. “I was at the point where I felt like I needed to upskill myself in order to take my career to the next level, and that was also when I realized that my true passion lies in building web applications.”

Following this realization, and with little coding knowledge, Gloria began to explore her options to map a path forward. Searching for ways to pivot into a career in web development, she found Lighthouse Labs and attended an Info Session to understand how the bootcamp works. She also attended a Demo Day, which is an event where recent grads present their final projects. These events gave her insight into the student experience and the strong skill set she’d acquire. “I knew that I needed a hands-on program that would help me gain experience faster,” she notes. “The Demo Day and information session gave me the assurance that this was the right choice for me.”

Gloria’s knockout bootcamp experience

Having decided to continue working full-time while pursuing her plan to pivot into web development, Gloria chose the part-time, flexible bootcamp option. With this version of the program, the content is spread out over the course of 30 weeks, allowing students to balance other priorities. While the extended timeframe is helpful to simultaneously meet other commitments, the program is still as intensive as the full-time version. “It was a challenge every week to learn new things fast and keep up with the program curriculum for 8 months while working full-time,” Gloria confirms.

However, Gloria stepped into the ring and gave the bootcamp her best punches, relying on the Lighthouse Labs support that she knew she had in her corner. “Whenever I hit a roadblock, there were always mentors and instructors there to support me and help me level up my understanding,” she points out, adding that she also sharpened other valuable skills in the process. “It was also a win to gain the skills of learning and time management because I continue to use them every day in my career.”

Fueling confidence as a woman in tech with lessons from the boxing ring

Like in boxing, women continue to be a minority in the tech industry, but instead of feeling bogged down by the stats or trying to conform, Gloria sees opportunity to build an even better space for everyone. “Women bring emotional intelligence, strong communication, and an ability to build inclusive teams that elevate everyone,” she states. “It’s not about fitting into tech culture — it’s about reshaping it into something more human, collaborative, and forward-thinking.”

In Gloria’s perspective, women in tech shouldn’t spend all their energy on proving their worth. They can stand in their power by focusing on delivering value. “I wish more people understood that being a woman in tech isn’t about constantly trying to “prove” ourselves — it’s about wanting to do meaningful work in a space that hasn’t always made room for us,” she notes. “It’s not just about showing up, but showing up as yourself, fully and unapologetically.” This wisdom came to Gloria from an unexpected place: her boxing practice. “Whether it’s stepping into a ring or a room full of engineers, there’s a quiet confidence that comes from knowing you’ve earned your place through hard work, dedication, and resilience,” she notes.

Although she admires many women in tech, she credits her boxing coach for the profound lesson that changed how she approaches her career: the importance of believing in yourself. “My boxing coach, Tyrone Bradshaw, taught me about building my self-confidence and self-belief, and this has carried over into every aspect of my life, including my career in tech,” she shares. “His influence wasn’t just on my performance in the sport, but on my character — and that foundation has been invaluable in navigating challenges and trusting my voice in male-dominated spaces.”

From bootcamp grad to Full-Stack Engineer: How Gloria made it happen

Coupled with her boxing wisdom and past career experience, the knowledge and skills Gloria acquired through the Web Development Bootcamp allowed her to successfully leap into tech. If she were to put things in numbers, Gloria estimates that about 80 percent of what she learned from the curriculum came in handy for the job right away. “The discussions I had with instructors in the program who work in the industry also helped me understand what to expect in web development,” she adds.

Ultimately, Gloria sees the bootcamp as a vital part of her successful pivot into tech. “The bootcamp made a major impact on my career,” she says. “I was able to transition my career from a tech-adjacent role to become a Full-Stack Engineer within a month of graduating from the program.” Getting a job so quickly in today’s market isn’t the norm, and Gloria notes the Lighthouse Labs Career Services team was key in helping her get her foot in the door. “It is hard to get a full-stack position with little experience in this competitive market, but I landed my role at Azoma faster than expected post-bootcamp,” she explains. “Career Services reached out to let me know about the opportunity and sent my resume to Azoma.”

Learn more about our Hiring Partner, Azoma.

Building more than code: Taking the lead, getting promoted, and paying it forward

But Gloria didn’t stop there. She not only landed a job at Azoma, a fast-growing startup focused on optimizing marketing and e-commerce for AI-powered search, but she also got promoted in less than a year. As someone determined to keep growing her career, she continued to learn on the job and made sure her contributions were meaningful. “After 6 months of working at Azoma, I was promoted to my current role as a Lead Full-Stack Engineer,” she shares.

In this role, she works closely with the CTO and CEO and focuses on shaping the company’s technical architecture, overseeing data pipelines, and leading a team of developers in building scalable and high-quality applications that align with business goals. In line with her commitment to inclusive and empowering workspaces, she also mentors her team. “One part of my focus is also levelling up my teammates — creating space for growth, sharing knowledge, and building a culture where everyone can thrive and do their best work,” she says.

Gloria’s tips for breaking into tech and what’s next on her journey

If Gloria had to do it all over again, she’d still go down the bootcamp road. “Bootcamps can be intense, but they give you the momentum and structure to break into a new field — and that’s powerful,” she explains. “I’d say go for it, because what matters most is your willingness to learn, show up consistently, and keep pushing forward even when it’s uncomfortable.” Looking back, Gloria also finds that breaking into tech from a different field provides an additional edge. “Coming into tech from another field is actually a strength — you bring a unique perspective and set of experiences that the industry needs,” she says. “Bring a ready mindset and belief in yourself — you deserve to be here.”

Another tip from Gloria is to have support systems in place when making a career pivot, especially for women in tech. “Sometimes, just having someone believe in you is the push you need to believe in yourself, as it was for myself,” she shares. And it’s a two-way street for her: she now finds joy in offering support to others from her own experience. “I’ve had people do that for me along the way and I’ll never forget how much it meant, so now when I can offer perspective, encouragement, or just a safe space to talk things through, I do it with my whole heart.”

Learn about moving beyond mentorship: Why women in tech need sponsors to level the playing field.

One of the things Gloria appreciates the most about her new career is that she finds constant opportunity to grow. “I love that I get to use creativity to solve complex problems, and that there’s room to experiment, learn, and build things that actually make an impact,” she explains, adding that she feels grateful that Azoma is a company that fosters such continuous growth. In the future, she hopes to become a Staff Engineer — a role where she’d get to drive technical decisions, help shape the direction of products and systems, and look at the bigger picture. “Looking ahead, I’m excited to keep levelling up, helping those around me level up, taking on new challenges, and helping shape the kind of tech culture I want to see.”

See the success stories of other women grads:

Our women grads come from all kinds of backgrounds, and they’re breaking barriers and building thriving careers in tech. Here are just a few of their journeys:

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