Her Story
About Rhoda
Rhoda Alhakim has worked as an R&D Engineering Project Manager since 2018, bringing technical program leadership to complex engineering initiatives. She decided to combine her passion for teaching with her technical background and founded her own coding academy, where she teaches children how to code and how to apply those skills to build their own games and websites.
Rhoda runs every aspect of the academy herself, from managing the website and class schedule to leading sessions starting as early as 7 a.m., coordinating with parents, preparing post-class presentations, and maintaining the academy's presence on Instagram. Her hands-on approach shows in her results: 99 percent of her students return for additional courses.
Alongside running the academy and working full-time, Rhoda is currently pursuing a PhD in aerospace engineering and is an active member of Women in Tech SEO. She attributes her success to her daughter, whose presence motivates her to keep going.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Rhoda
01What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
There was a point in the middle of building TechTots Lab where I felt completely overwhelmed and thought about quitting. A friend of mine told me that things can go very wrong, but if you keep pushing, especially when you really want something to work, it eventually does. I held onto that, kept going, and today TechTots Lab is a successful business.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
On finding your footing
- Seek out communities early, rather than waiting until you feel "ready." Groups like Women in Tech or Girls Who Code exist precisely because navigating male-dominated spaces alone is harder than doing it with peers who understand the specific friction points.
- Find a mentor, but also look for peer mentors—people a few steps ahead of you, not just senior figures. Peer relationships are often more accessible and just as valuable.
On confidence and credibility
- Don't wait until you feel fully qualified to apply, speak up, or take on a role. Research consistently shows women tend to underestimate their readiness compared to men in similar positions.
- Document your wins. It's easy to downplay your own contributions, especially in team settings; keeping a running record makes performance reviews, promotions, and job applications far less stressful.
On persistence
- Expect setbacks, and treat them as part of the terrain rather than a signal you're in the wrong field. This is especially true in male-dominated technical spaces, where women often face added scrutiny of their competence.
- Build a support system you can turn to when things get hard, whether that's a mentor, peers, or people outside the industry entirely.
On building your own path
- You don't have to follow the traditional or "expected" trajectory. Some of the most interesting careers come from combining fields, building something from scratch, or creating an alternative path when the existing ones don't fit.
- Negotiate. Studies consistently show women negotiate salary and terms less often than men, which compounds over a career.
On visibility
- Speak at events, write, share your work publicly. Visibility opens doors that pure competence alone often doesn't, particularly in fields where women's contributions are more likely to go unnoticed or under-credited.
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