Chantel Garcia became interested in coding during her first year at uni.

"I was really into art, and enjoyed using coding to create websites with transitions and moving art - it built on my passion."

Chantel studied Computer Science and Information Technology and Systems at Monash University, where she was a part of the Google Student Ambassador program, running events on campus to draw students' attention to programming competitions and other opportunities. "It was great getting like-minded people together to share ideas about the 'next big thing' in CS."

At uni, she was also a member of Google-sponsored networking group, Monash Girl Geek Coffee Club, and worked on a range of mobile and web development projects. This included an app that finds restaurants catering to certain dietary requirements.

It's always worth getting involved, she says. "Seize every opportunity - you never know who you'll meet or what you'll learn."

Chantel is now a software development engineer at Microsoft in the USA. "If you're passionate about what you do, the doors will open for you."