2025 Data Diaries
Hi DataFam! It’s been a long time since I’ve written a blog, but I couldn’t let the year end without doing a quick recap. In true data engineering fashion, I extracted some data from multiple sources to curate a 2025 Year in Review blog. As someone who works with data every day to help others save money, make money, and make better business decisions, I’m constantly reminded that some of the most meaningful metrics don’t always live in a pristine database. They sometimes live in our ordinary daily activities. Yet, whether they’re tech-related or not, when all the numbers come together, they tell a powerful story. This is my 2025 story.
📈 1 Promotion
If I count all the experience that I’ve amassed since my high school career day event, I can say that it took 12 years, 3 tech degrees and 2 data bootcamps for me to officially become a data professional. Given that I’ve only been full-time in the field for 4.5 years, one of my proudest moments this year was being promoted to Senior Data Engineer - a title that represents far more than a career milestone. It reflects years of problem-solving, curiosity, and learning how to design systems that drive business value. Even as a senior engineer, my learning never stops. Over the course of the year, I deepened my expertise across various Microsoft tools and started exploring the use of AI in data engineering while studying for relevant certifications.
👩🏽💻 3 Tech Outreach Projects
In 2025, I donated my fourth consecutive IT Scholarship to a student at my high school alma mater. I’ve always believed in investing in the youth and there’s no better place to invest than the school that sparked my interest in a technology career. I want every young girl to know that she is capable of building a future in tech and my hope is that the scholarship continues to motivate students to pursue technology long-term.
Additionally, during the summer, I led one IT Career Roadmapping session for high school girls through Girls Who Code, helping them understand pathways into tech and see careers that often feel invisible from the outside. I gave the students an opportunity to start thinking about which careers they might be interested in by examining their soft skills, technical skills, and general interests and passions. It’s never too early to start thinking about your career. After all, I was also in high school when I figured out what career path I wanted to pursue, and here I am several years later, still working in tech.
Another noteworthy accomplishment for this year: the Women in Tech Caribbean blog, which I run, reached a new milestone when it was recognized by Feedspot as one of the top women in technology blogs in 2025. As a woman born and raised in the Caribbean, I am always inspired by the stories of the community members that I get to share on our blog. They always motivate me to dream bigger and use my skills, experience and position for the good of others.
👑 4 Beauty Pageants
Apart from my technology involvement, some of the most meaningful moments of the year came through coaching others in pageantry. Although I’ve done 7 pageants, I retired several years ago. In 2025, I worked with contestants participating in a total of 4 pageants across 4 countries, with them winning a total of 7 awards, 1 crown and 1 third placement. I was a former contestant in 3 of the 4 pageants I coached this year, but perhaps the most sentimental for me was the Miss Dominica title since I, too, won this title a remarkable 10 years ago. Time surely flies! Although pageant coaching wasn’t on my bingo card, I am so proud of the intelligent, talented, hardworking women who crossed my path through pageantry. May their confidence and drive continue to push them to overcome any challenges they may face. This year proved that I sincerely enjoy mentoring others and I look forward to transferring my mentorship skills to the tech industry more frequently in the new year.
👠 9 Model Bookings
This year, I signed with 1 modeling agency and booked a total of 9 jobs. I booked 1 commercial and multiple runway jobs with 8 designers across 3 states. This may not seem like a lot, but in my world as a full-time engineer and part-time model, it is. My experience as a fashion model has taught me to persevere as I went to several virtual and in-person castings and received so many rejections. I have learned not to take rejection personally, and I’m proud of all the progress I continue to make towards something that was once a childhood dream. This industry pushes me to keep learning, keep trying and enjoy every step of my personal journey. This attitude serves me well in and out of the modeling industry and reinforces the principles of preparation, professionalism and perseverance.
🌱 13 Books
As someone who loves to learn, I try to read relatively often. I read a total of 13 books this year (printed books and audiobooks) spanning across different genres - technical, thriller novels and personal development. I hadn’t read a physical book in its entirety in a few years since I started listening to audiobooks, and the experience was much-needed. I was able to disconnect and fully focus on the book instead of multitasking as I usually do when listening to audiobooks. If you’re like me and spend more time listening to audiobooks, try taking a break from them and reading physical books every once in a while. There are obvious benefits to both approaches, but perhaps I will dive deeper in a later blog. The bottom line is that learning shouldn’t stop.
✈️ 17 Trips
Ever since I found my name on a map as a child I’ve been intrigued by the wonders of this world. I’ve enjoyed travelling throughout my life and I usually take multiple trips each year, but this year tops all my prior years of travel. I’ve taken 17 trips - domestic and international. I’ve been to 4 countries and 5 states spanning across 2 continents and the Caribbean. I love learning about countries, visiting new and familiar places and engaging in meaningful and memorable experiences while I’m there. There is so much value in experiencing and respecting different cultures and I’ve spent more time with family this year than I have in a very long time. Spending time abroad and in other parts of the US continues to shape me as a leader and as a human being in general.
🏃🏽♀️ 22 Miles of Exercise
This year, fitness looked different and I tried so many activities in order to stay motivated. I am a dancer, but unfortunately I attended 0 dance classes this year and performed 0 dances around Northwest Arkansas with my group. However, in 2025, through various fitness exercises I covered 21.87 miles, just shy of a full marathon distance. That mileage came from 51 workout sessions spread across multiple training styles: cardio, strength training, core work, tennis, kickboxing, pilates, and full-body workouts. The insight I’ve gained from this is simple: movement evolves, and consistency matters more than familiarity. Even if I didn’t do my usual form of exercise, I stayed active and even ran a 5K in the midst of it all. The lesson here is that life goes on and you still have to find ways to accomplish your goals even when you’re not motivated.
Looking Ahead
Looking across the full dataset of 2025, a few patterns stand out:
Growth showed up through leadership and learning opportunities, not just job titles.
Movement didn’t look the same, but it still added up.
Impact scaled most where tech, culture, and service intersected.
As I move into the next year, my focus remains on building stronger systems, deeper expertise, and spaces where others can rise alongside me. Thank you, 2025. Cheers to 2026!
