New Crew Member: Victoria Guerrero

Vickie comes to us by way of YWeb Career Academy, a local web development and design bootcamp, from which she graduated in December. 

Originally from Chicago, Vickie moved to Madison for college, and we're so glad she did. Only a week on the job, she's already demonstrated a thoroughness and dedication that will serve her well as Ten Forward's new Junior Operations Analyst. 

Read on for more about Vickie, including why she joined Ten Forward, life as a triplet and her potentially precognitive abilities.

Why did you decide to attend YWeb?

"I decided to attend YWeb because I believed it was an opportunity for me to improve my technical and employability skills, as well as to establish a strong support system in Madison." 

Can you tell us a little bit about the program? What was it like?

"YWeb is a job training program which prepares students for jobs within the tech industry by using a hands-on learning approach with front-end web development and graphic design, and also provided employability coaching and training.

In addition to being in class full-time, students had opportunities to meet individuals from tech companies at networking events, mock interviews, and in-class presentations. By the end of the class, all students had presented elevator pitches, team projects, and completed personal portfolios using Wordpress. 

Overall, I'd say that this is the best class I have ever taken, and is one I would recommend for anyone considering switching careers to work in the tech industry."

What was one of the most interesting things you learned in school?

"I think one of the most interesting things I learned in (YWeb) was project management. I enjoyed learning HTML and CSS, of course, but learning more about project management and having the opportunity to practice project management in a risk-free classroom setting was really integral in my understanding of how production ideas become reality."

What drew you to apply at Ten Forward after school? 

"I was drawn to apply to Ten Forward after class ended mostly because of the support I received from Julia and Rasheid, the coordinator and instructor of YWeb. They helped me feel more confident in the skills I had, given my previous academic and employment experiences, and pushed me to play to my strengths. 

I saw the position and felt that I could do a good job and also gain valuable experience and knowledge. I heard good things about Ten Forward from my friend Charielle (a Ten Forward software developer), and enjoyed the talk you (Hilary) gave at YWeb about the importance of diversity in the tech industry, so overall, I thought it would be a good fit!"

What are you looking forward to learning or doing in your new position? 

"I am really looking forward to learning more about how a business runs, how to acquire and maintain strong clients, and how to succeed as an entrepreneur! I like working on a team and am excited to see how I can help things move forward. I'd also like to improve my coding skills!"

As a twin, I was delighted to learn you're a triplet. ❤️ What kind of work do your triplet siblings do? 

"Yay Multiples! I have a brother named Matthew and a sister named Amanda. Matthew currently works in sales for a company in Chicago, IL, and is making a Mesoamerican video game with a team of his college friends. Amanda is currently killing it as a recruiter in Denver, Colorado. She will soon be moving to Los Angeles to open up another branch and to run her own team, so I am VERY proud of her."

You're also vegan, which delighted fellow vegan Zach. Tell us a little about your decision to go vegan.

"After considering my health and the factory farming system in the United States, I decided to stop eating meat back in 2015. I first started as a vegetarian, and after a month, I went completely vegan. After going vegan, I found out I was lactose intolerant, so it's been a pretty easy lifestyle to stick to, except for large family gatherings LOL." 

What's something about you people might find surprising? 

"Sometimes I lucid dream or have dreams where I experience snippets of events that end up happening a few months later. *cue twilight zone music*"

Favorite movie, TV show, band/musician, emoji.

Movie: Harry Potter (all movies)
TV: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Band/musician: Bob Marley and the Wailers (with the I-three)
Emoji: "I don't have a favorite emoji but I do use smiley faces a lot."

Star Trek or Star Wars?

"Both!"