Web Development paves path for working mom

Natasha Martin went from stay-at-home mom to working mom thanks to Francis Tuttle's Web Development program.

Published November 20, 2019
Natasha Martin Web Development

Natasha Martin

Web Development for Love's
"I loved the concept of being able to start with nothing, a blank text or code editor, and create something from that."

When Natasha Martin had to go from stay-at-home mom to working mom, she turned to Web Development at Francis Tuttle because it was something she knew would offer value.

“I was trying to figure out what direction I wanted to go in, and I was looking at either going back to college, doing something online and I looked at the tech schools,” Natasha said. “What stood out to me is I could get a technical certification that would land me in jobs that pay like a four-year degree but at a third of the cost.”

Now she’s the Salesforce Marketing Cloud Project Manager at Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores, and, of course, still the mother of three boys – including twins. Francis Tuttle Technology Center offered her the classes she needed to find a career to support her family and the flexibility to still be a mom.

“It’s a big change,” Natasha said. “But, I’m the type of person who dives in head first. Just because it’s scary doesn’t mean it’s going to keep me from doing it.”

Natasha was familiar with some web page development before she started at Francis Tuttle. Once in the program, though, she realized how much there was to still learn and the value of the fundamentals.

“As you’re working through the curriculum, you realize where your strengths and weaknesses are,” Natasha said. “The things I liked the least in the class are now what I have to work with the most. I enjoy it now. The instructor, Christy Whitfield, really pushes the fundamentals in that class. When it gets down to the fundamentals of how you customize, a lot of people in the field just don’t know how to do it. It’s something that’s missing with a lot of developers.”

Natasha enjoys the flexibility that a web development job offers, both in the creation aspect and in the industry.

“I loved the concept of being able to start with nothing, a blank text or code editor, and create something from that,” she said. “And then also the fact that you can take a certification in web development and you can work for someone else or start your own business.”

Since technology is the basis of her career, it is always changing. And for that exact reason, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 13% rise in jobs for web developers from 2018-2028. Opportunities will be opening up in a variety of areas.

“My sister is actually in the program right now, and I love that she’s taking it,” said Natasha. “There are so many areas you can go into with it. A lot of people are from different backgrounds, but they can take that specialty and find their niche.”

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