When Anastasiia Muzhzhavlev left Ukraine and arrived in the United States in 2014, her world shifted completely. Adjusting to a new culture and still easing her way into the English language, tech wasn’t on her radar—not yet. But buried beneath the challenges of starting over was a quiet curiosity, a spark that would one day ignite into something far greater.
Just years later, Anastasiia would find herself creating a fully functional web application—coded from scratch in React and JavaScript—with a sense of pride she never could have imagined in those early days. Now living in Westcliffe, Colorado, she is on the path to becoming a front-end developer, fueled by persistence, self-belief, and a deep love of learning.
But her journey into tech didn’t begin with childhood dreams of computers. In fact, she didn’t even grow up with one.
A New Life, A New Curiosity
Her background was in business management, and for years, she envisioned a future that revolved around her family and education. After moving to the U.S. with her husband—a Special Forces servicemember in the military—Anastasiia focused on raising their three daughters, often alone while her husband was deployed. It wasn’t until her children began attending school and her husband approached retirement that she found space to ask herself what she truly wanted.
Surrounded by people in the IT field, including her husband who tinkered with AI, robotics, and drone projects, Anastasiia began listening in on technical conversations with growing fascination. “There were so many questions I held inside,” she recalls. “How does this work? How can you build it?”
With encouragement from family and friends, she enrolled in her first bootcamp—CYDEO’s SDET track, a software‑testing curriculum designed for non‑native English speakers. Though challenging, it gave her foundational knowledge and the confidence to explore further. That curiosity quickly blossomed into a new goal: becoming a full stack software engineer.
Learning Through Language and Code
Anastasiia’s path was far from easy. As a non-native English speaker, every assignment took twice as long. Reading documentation in English often meant translating each term into Ukrainian before she could begin solving the problem. “Sometimes I spent two hours just translating a concept before I could even start coding,” she says. But she never gave up.
Her second bootcamp—App Academy’s intensive, year‑long Full‑Stack Web Developer program—proved to be the turning point. She thrived in front-end development, especially because it gave her immediate visual feedback and allowed her creativity to shine. Her final capstone project, a dynamic web app for outdoor enthusiasts to plan hikes, rafting trips, and events across Colorado, showcased her design sensibility and technical growth. “When I look at that project, I feel proud,” she says. “It’s something useful, something real.”
Family, Focus, and Resilience
Anastasiia’s commitment to learning was fueled by a strong support system. Her husband—her best friend and biggest cheerleader—encouraged her every step of the way. And her children, too, played a role in her success. “I would tell my daughter, ‘This is Mommy’s study time. You play with your sisters, and afterward we’ll bake together,’” she laughs.
She credits her children for teaching her patience and focus, and believes her journey has been a powerful example for them. “My oldest daughter is proud that I have a second education,” she shares.
Internships, Projects, and the Power of Teamwork
Now, Anastasiia is completing an internship with LVC Solutions, where she is part of a small team building an AI-driven job search platform. She’s learning new frameworks, contributing to real-world projects, and thriving in collaborative environments where her input is valued. Her love for clean design, practical user experiences, and working on teams that listen and communicate clearly drives her toward a career in front-end development.
She also has a passion for leadership. Even in bootcamp, she found herself organizing her cohort into teams, helping others break down complex problems, and encouraging a positive, patient learning environment. “Maybe I’m not ready to be a leader yet,” she admits, “but someday—yes, I’d love that.”
A Bright Future on 40 Acres
Living on a quiet 40-acre property in rural Westcliffe, Colorado, Anastasiia balances tech aspirations with a deep love for nature and family. Her kids climb trees and raise goats through 4-H while her husband experiments with creating greenhouse sensors. And Anastasiia? Well, she’s building a rich future for herself and her family—one line of code at a time.
When asked what advice she’d give to others considering a career change, Anastasiia says:
“Start. Don’t wait. You don’t need to be a genius. You just need to be curious, consistent, and ready to learn. You don’t need advanced math to succeed in web development—just good logic and the willingness to try. If you don’t like learning something new every day, tech might not be for you.”
For those who thrive on growth, the opportunities are limitless. And for anyone thinking it’s too late to start—Anastasiia is proof that it’s not.
With dreams of joining a remote team that values empathy, collaboration, and meaningful work, Anastasiia is ready for the next chapter. Her journey is one of resilience, reinvention, and the quiet power of believing in yourself—even when the odds are stacked high.
