Shahad, from Najaf, joined the She Codes Too + DataCamp scholarship to shift her career from the medical field into technology. Over five months, she explored Python, SQL, Tableau, and Power BI while working on projects like analysing customer purchases to uncover patterns. What stood out for her most was the strong support from the She Codes Too community, which kept her motivated through monthly sessions and encouragement. Along the way, she built her LinkedIn profile, earned certifications, and gained the confidence to pursue her new path in data.

What inspired you to apply for the scholarship, and what did you want to learn?

I saw this opportunity months ago, but it required being able to go to Baghdad once a week, and unfortunately I couldn’t. Months later, I saw the post about online courses, and literally, I applied to it at 12 a.m. with half-opened eyes and didn’t expect to get accepted.

My goal was to improve my skills. I’m currently doing a career shift from the medical field to tech. I learned about Python — it was the first thing I began with — and SQL, and the last thing was Tableau (currently in Power BI).

About the project — yes! I did a lot of them. I actually put one of the projects that I did on DataCamp in my portfolio and it was about analysing Customer Purchase in Python to uncover patterns and support data-driven decisions.

Honestly, the best part of this scholarship was the support from She Codes Too. We had monthly sessions that were truly refreshing and helped me stay focused on my goals. Big thanks to Hajar, Aya, and Raghad — these amazing women! 💜 I hope in the future I can join and become a permanent member of the She Codes Too girls.

What makes She Codes Too special, in my opinion, is how it connects women from all over Iraq — helping each other and reminding us that we’re not alone in this journey.

In the last session, they told us:

“Don’t worry, girl. You’ll be with us till you land the job — it’s not the end with us.”

I’ve changed a lot since being with She Codes Too. I’m surrounded by women — some of them are like me, trying to learn something or doing a career shift (which isn't something people do everyday). The community, sharing, and helping each other helped me a lot to grow and gain confidence in this learning journey.

What I’m proud of is that I started building a network in the data field, created my LinkedIn account, and made a resume.

I gained three certifications in Python, SQL, and Tableau.

The impact is huge. This scholarship gives the opportunity to all women to experience learning something new, building on their knowledge, making connections and gaining experience talking with experts and understanding the qualifications required in the job market.

If anyone wants to join She Codes Too, I tell them what you’re waiting for?

I consider myself lucky for being one of the She Codes Too girls!

I remember in one of our previous sessions, Hajer played a game called "Show My Thing with a ___ Colour." We started picking up things in blue, red, and other colors, and we talked about them and shared our stories...