Marquita Sidibe began her career in hospitality, but was always passionate about technology. Inspired by the creativity and determination of the superheroes in her favorite comic books, she decided to take charge and rewrite her own story. After 15 years in the service industry, she enrolled in the software development program at Ivy Tech Community College. 

As a new student, she quickly found that she was the only African-American female in the program and worry set in. Coding felt like another language in this unfamiliar field, leaving Marquita feeling out of her depth. Despite this daunting challenge, Marquita didn’t give up. With her children encouraging her to persevere, she successfully graduated. 

After graduating from the software development program, Marquita struggled to figure out what to do next — even questioning where her place was in tech and if she had made the right decision. She found new direction after learning that Salesforce was opening an office in her city. She began researching the products and even connected with a Women in Tech Community Group. There, she started making connections while learning on Trailhead. She was nominated to participate in the Salesforce Pathfinder Program, a workforce development program, where she underwent 12 weeks of intensive training on Trailhead and earned her first Salesforce certification. Armed with new expertise and the connections made in the Women in Tech Community Group, anxiety was replaced with confidence, and Marquita was able to land her first role in the Salesforce ecosystem.