Ariana Ophelia Soto, Deputy Director, Coding it Forward
What does your work look like, and what have you been working on lately?
We’re a small team so my day-to-day responsibilities include a very broad range of things, from strategizing about the future of our programs to having conversations with partners in the space to improve opportunities for young public interest technologists. We just wrapped up our 2021 Civic Digital Fellowship and inaugural Civic Innovation Corps program in early August so the past two months have involved conversations with alumni about their experiences this summer and analyzing post-program feedback so that our team can continue to iterate on the programs we deliver as we head into next year. Applications for our 2022 programs will open in January so our team is going to be busy recruiting for next year’s programs in the months ahead!
How has your career path unfolded?
I have only been working full-time since graduating from undergrad in May 2020, but have been with Coding it Forward for over three and half years now––I worked in a part-time capacity during undergrad. Aside from internships with the Los Angeles Mayor’s Data Team and the New York Mayor’s Office of Data Analytics, serving as Deputy Director of Coding it Forward is my first formal post-grad role. It’s been incredible to lead an organization whose mission is to create new opportunities and pathways into social impact and civic technology. The opportunities we are creating at Coding it Forward are opportunities I wish I had when I was an undergrad. I feel really fortunate to be in a career that’s allowing me to build out a space for careers that were few and far between when I was going through my education.
How did you get into the field of Public Interest Technology (PIT)?
The summer after my freshman year I went back home and fell into an internship with the Los Angeles Mayor’s Data Team––it was my first introduction to the field of public interest technology. I spent the summer improving metadata and public sharing of police datasets on the Los Angeles Open Data Portal. It sounds ridiculous to say now, but before that internship I didn’t know people were using technology at such a capacity in government. That internship really sparked my interest in the field so when I returned to campus that fall I decided to study Government and Computer Science. The following summer I sought out an internship with the New York Mayor’s Office of Data Analytics, to expand my knowledge of data work in another large city. By that summer, I was really excited about PIT work and was doing all I could to find resources, professors, and opportunities in the space.
During the spring of my sophomore year, Coding it Forward sent an email over a mailing list I was on publicizing that they were looking to grow their team. I wasn’t aware of CIF’s work prior to that email, but the minute I saw their work I knew it was exactly what I was looking for. I met with one of our cofounders a few days later and the rest is history...I’ve been working in the public interest tech space ever since. I always say my journey into the field was accidental, I didn’t know public interest tech was a field until my internship in Los Angeles. I don’t even think “public interest technology” was a term in anyone’s vocabulary when I started in the field. I am grateful that the space has really grown since my first internship.
If students are interested in pursuing a career in PIT, where might they start?
What’s really great for students currently interested in pursuing a career in PIT, is that there are so many more resources available to them than there were when I was a student. I would be remiss to not suggest that students check out Coding it Forward––not only our Civic Digital Fellowship and Civic Innovation Corps programs, but also subscribe to our newsletter and follow our social media accounts (@codingitforward) where we share jobs, internships, and opportunities in the space. Outside of our work there are tons of incredible organizations like New America’s Public Interest Tech University Network who are providing students with resources and opportunities to explore. My biggest piece of advice is for students to ask questions and reach out to people doing this work. I promise that people working in this space are more than willing to help you get involved! Early-career opportunities can still be a challenge to find as the space continues to bloom and grow, so asking for advice and help will make your journey all the easier to navigate.