Crafting Code and Dreams: A Software Journey

Jennifer Aronow's journey to becoming a Software Crafter at 8th Light, where they go by their middle name, Serene, is a testament to determination, recovery, and lifelong passion. After overcoming mental health struggles and dedicating 13 years to recovery, including 7 years as a Peer Supporter, they finally realized their lifelong dream of becoming a programmer.

The Polyglot Programmer

Jennifer is proud to identify as a Polyglot, a versatile programmer who can pick up and utilize any programming language with proficiency within about a month. This ability was showcased in a demonstration project produced in a language they have never used before, completed in just one month. They're proficient in:

• Javascript and Typescript (with React and React Native)
• Python (with Django)
• Ruby
• C# (with ASP.NET)
• Elixir (with Phoenix)
• They have experience with AWS and Firebase

Jennifer specializes in accessibility (A11y), focusing on making apps and websites more accessible to people who use screen readers. Their work is more than a job; it's a mission to bring technology closer to everyone.

Spotlight and Praise: Jennifer Aronow's Features in the Tech World

From software crafting to veterans' advocacy, Jennifer Aronow's journey has inspired features by industry leaders. Explore these in-depth profiles to get a unique glimpse into Jennifer's passion, perseverance, and positive impact.

• 8th Light (Serene Aronow): Building Supportive Systems with Software Crafter Serene Aronow - Explore Jennifer's transition from the Navy to software consulting at 8th Light, highlighting a passion for accessibility and front-end development. Their path is marked by determination, learning, and a unique blend of technical prowess and mental well-being advocacy.
• CodePlatoon: Championing Visibility for Trans Veterans - Jennifer, following a childhood dream, served in the Navy, concealing their identity before being honorably discharged for being trans. Transitioning to a civilian tech support job, they became a mental health advocate for the trans community, later discovering a passion for coding through Code Platoon, and now serves as a software engineer at 8th Light, where they continue to advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights and mental health.

Personal Projects: A Wellspring of Ideas

Jennifer's mind is always brimming with ideas for both Games and Apps. So much so, that they have created a spreadsheet to keep track of over 30 innovative concepts. Among them is Jennifer's most recent endeavor, an exciting and transformative app. While not ready to reveal all the details just yet, this project symbolizes their continuous exploration and ambition in the world of software development.

The goal of this app is clear: to create a platform that empowers, connects, and provides essential resources in a user-friendly and accessible way. Leveraging Jennifer's unique perspective and a blend of technological expertise and community insight, it aims to fill a gap that has long been overlooked. It's not just about building software; it's about creating a space where voices are heard, needs are met, and individuality is celebrated.

Stay tuned for exciting updates on this project and others as Jennifer continues to craft, innovate, and inspire.

A Journey Just Beginning

Jennifer's path to software development has been unconventional but rich with learning and growth. From aspiring programmer to peer support, and finally to a Polyglot Software Crafter at 8th Light, their story reflects resilience, skill, and a passion for inclusion and accessibility. Join Jenny as they continue to create, explore, and bring ideas to life.

Empathy in Action: A Journey in Peer Support

A peer support worker leverages their personal experience of recovery from mental health conditions or substance use disorders to help others on similar paths. With non-clinical, strengths-based support, peer supporters are uniquely qualified by their own journey of recovery. They inspire hope, walk alongside others, dispel myths, provide self-help education, and assist in mapping out individual goals and paths toward healing.

During a transformative seven-year stint as a certified peer supporter, Jennifer Aronow became a beacon of empathy and empowerment. Their journey began with volunteer work at the VA and blossomed into a fulfilling career with Southeast Healthcare.

• One-on-One Support and Group Facilitation: Jennifer's work encompassed a broad range of services, from personalized one-on-one peer support to facilitating various support groups. Their passion for inclusivity and connection was most notably seen in the weekly Trans Peer Support Group, which drew up to 25 attendees per meeting over a four-year period.
• Specialized Certifications: Along with regular peer support responsibilities, Jennifer achieved certifications in facilitating Wellness Recovery Action Planning (WRAP) and Whole Health Action Management (WHAM) groups. These specialized programs enabled a deeper dive into personalized wellness strategies, reinforcing Jennifer's commitment to holistic well-being.
• Public Speaking and Outreach: Jennifer's tenure as a peer supporter also marked the blossoming of their public speaking career. With half of their job at Southeast Healthcare devoted to public outreach, Jennifer seized numerous opportunities to speak on panels and lead meetings. Their voice resonated in various forums, emphasizing the importance of empathy, community, and proactive mental health care.

This chapter of Jennifer's life, filled with connection, growth, and advocacy, not only enriched the lives of those they supported but also laid a vital foundation for their future endeavors. Whether through one-on-one connections, group facilitation, or public discourse, Jennifer's impact as a peer supporter continues to resonate with those they have touched along the way.

Healing Journey: Embracing Recovery with Compassion

Jennifer Aronow's path through recovery is a poignant narrative of struggle, self-discovery, and triumph. It began with a complex and unsettling introduction to the concept of recovery, witnessing its use as a weapon within their family. This early exposure, filled with tension and contradiction, shaped a demanding and unkind approach to personal recovery, marked by a constant strive for perfection and an unforgiving self-critique.

Growing up in a household where recovery was intertwined with conflict and manipulation, Jennifer's understanding of self-improvement was tinged with fear and skepticism. Their parents' journey through recovery, rather than fostering a nurturing environment, created a distorted image of what it meant to heal and grow. It led to a conflicted relationship with the very concept of recovery, making Jennifer's own path both challenging and enlightening. The drive to do better was often overshadowed by a feeling of never being good enough, setting the stage for a journey that would require immense courage, resilience, and a profound shift in perspective.

• The Living Course: A weekend retreat called TLC (The Living Course) sparked Jennifer's own recovery journey. This intense emotional experience propelled them into exploring 12-step meetings for behavioral addictions and codependency.
• Chasing Dreams and Facing Obstacles: Jennifer's pursuit of a lifelong dream for bottom surgery took a painful detour when their car died. The purchase of a new 2012 Kia Forte, named Hope — precisely because they had none — signified surrender to despair and prompted a venture into drug use. Yet, this dark period was not an end but a turn in the road.
• A Renewed Perspective and Return of Hope: The awarding of PTSD-related disability benefits by the VA, stemming from a traumatic event when Jennifer was in the US Navy, lead to a renewal of hope that became the catalysts to overcome drug use. Jennifer's return to recovery was marked by a radical shift in understanding, embracing self-love, compassion, and patience.
• Fulfilling a Lifelong Dream: After practicing recovery with this newfound compassion towards themselves, Jennifer was able to achieve their dream of bottom surgery. The healing from this milestone set the stage for a future filled with volunteering and peer support work, marking a transformation not just in body but in spirit and purpose.

Jennifer's recovery story is a testament to resilience and growth, a journey from self-criticism to self-compassion. It is a vivid illustration of how challenges can be transformed into opportunities and how recovery, when practiced with love and patience, can be a powerful catalyst for personal evolution.