BreakLiner Anisa Ray has joined Palo Alto Networks as a software engineer! Here is part of her story:

“I grew up in San Diego. My dad was a special education teacher. My mom is an artist and an acupuncturist. I am also an artist. I draw and paint. It’s close to my heart – something I do for personal fulfillment.

At UC Berkeley, I studied rhetoric, the science of persuasion and communication. When I graduated, I went into teaching. I used software to streamline my work processes and to help my students stay organized, too. I always felt limited by what was available and wished I could develop my own tools.

I became interested in software engineering because it combines the skills it takes to learn a language with the creativity to build cool new programs. So I went to the University of Pennsylvania to earn an MS in computer and information technology. When I started there, I had written less than a hundred lines of code!

When I pursue a goal, I like to do things all the way. It takes sacrifice to make that happen, but it’s so worth it. I earned a 4.0 for both my undergrad work at Berkeley and my master’s work at Penn.

When I first found out about BreakLine, I thought it was too good to be true. But once I started working with them, I saw how passionate they are. The workshops alleviated my anxiety about breaking into tech. Casey Deeds was there for me at literally every moment! I felt so cared for and empowered in a way I’d never felt before. BreakLine helped me see myself differently. It was such a big gift.

I’ve been meditating recently, using Sam Harris’ Waking Up app. He says that it’s helpful to think of yourself as a process rather than something fixed. It’s true: I went from being a teacher and artist to being a software engineer. Seeing yourself as an evolving entity is the most powerful thing in the world.”