Her Story
About Fatima
Fatima Jhong serves as a qualitative researcher at Code for America, a nonprofit technology company based in Oakland, California, where she has focused on language access in bilingual qualitative research since approximately 2022. In this role, she develops, plans, and conducts research to understand the needs of vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations, synthesizing findings to build recommendations that improve digital products and services for government benefits programs including SNAP, WIC, and Medicaid. Prior to entering UX research, she spent five years working in the prevention of child neglect and abuse through a local nonprofit in New Jersey, an experience that motivated her transition into civic technology to reach broader communities. She holds a bachelor's degree in psychology with a minor in Spanish language and literature and completed a UX design bootcamp on scholarship after working in the nonprofit sector. Jhong is actively involved in professional and community organizations, serving on the board of directors for Latinos of Montclair, where she directs an enrichment program offering scholarships, Spanish language practice, percussion instruction, and Latin dance lessons to children across New Jersey. She is also a member of Latinas in Tech and attributes her professional success to community support while navigating systems as an immigrant woman of color in tech.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Fatima
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to community. I've had to navigate as an immigrant, as a woman, as a woman of color, as a woman in tech in systems that were not built for me. It was really a matter of active listening, of trust, of connection, showing up as my true self, asking for help, learning when to listen, learning to make a plan, and knowing that my community will always be there regardless of mistakes.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
One of my mentors said to me, don't limit yourself to be defined by the role that you currently have. Think of yourself as someone that's often learning and changing and growing, and allow yourself to grow in the ways that you feel curious about.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
The most important thing is to be curious, to ask questions, to not feel like they need to know all the right answers. There are no right answers. Dare to step into rooms that maybe she might open for herself, take initiative, and always hold on to community, to the people that she trusts, knowing that community will change and grow with her.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges is staying hopeful in times where policy takes a turn and all the work needs to shift from one day to the next. Continuing to do advocacy work both on the ground and at a higher level is a huge challenge. Working with the right team, showing up authentically, having a safe space to talk about it, and building the plane while flying it keeps the team connected.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Collaboration rooted in kindness, integrity, innovation, authenticity, building deep connections, and staying true to my voice. The work is very meaningful and connects to a bigger community. I have a commitment to its growth and to solving hard problems while staying true to myself.
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