We had the good fortune of connecting with Maya Bello and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Maya, we’d love to hear what makes you happy.
What makes me happy is seeing people win! I remember during quarantine when I started posting tik toks and I got comments on my videos like “I’m going to major in Computer Science now” and “Granny is going to learn to code.” Those comments make me so happy because I once didn’t see myself in tech. Seeing so many people, who don’t look like the typical programmer, excited about diving into this space warms my heart and makes my day.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
What sets me apart from others is that I am real about my journey. A lot of people only talk about the successes, which is totally fine, however, that doesn’t accurately depict my journey. What sets me apart from others is that instead of saying I got so many offers from these huge tech companies, I instead talk about how it took 7 months of studying to get there. Instead of just talking about my accomplishments in college, I also mention how I failed some classes and had to learn to ditch my fixed mindset and have a growth mindset. What sets me apart is I talk about the good and the bad, however, even through the bad, you can still make it through.

So far I’ve created over 300 pieces of content across my YouTube, Instagram, Tik Tok, etc., and I’m just getting started! I love sharing pieces of my journey and offering tips and tricks so that others can have an easier time.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If someone was visiting the Bay Area I would first take them to Denicas for brunch; the mimosas are huge, Ube Pancakes are bomb, and the free chips and salsa are a plus! We would definitely go to In N Out and order a double-double with whole grilled onions and a Neapolitan shake for lunch. We would go to Vegan Mob for dinner, and even though I’m not vegan, this place could turn me into one! You have to order the candied yams, which are so sweet and delicious. We would end the day by roller-skating through Lake Merritt.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to give a huge shout-out to Julia, Jeremy, and Marian. These were some of the students in my major. There were so many times I wanted to give up when studying Computer Science because in the beginning concepts were so hard for me to grasp. I remember so many late nights where Julia would cook food as she’s finding a new way to explain recursion, Jeremy trying to find the right metaphors and analogies to make the concepts easier, and Marian encouraging me to not give up and keep going. I’m so thankful I had them because when the world was telling me to give up, they were encouraging me to keep going.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maya_loves_code/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/maya_loves_code

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MayaBello

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