Sammie Waldie, a Senior Site Reliability Engineer at Elastic, illustrates the parallels between her Japanese language degree and her self-taught programming skills, noting that both involve understanding unwritten rules and abstracting complex concepts. Her journey into tech began early, influenced by her father, and she grew up using Linux after her first computer frequently crashed. Her role at Elastic involves collaborating with various teams to create tools that ensure efficient incident management and enhance technical operations. Sammie's path included a technical customer support job where she honed her coding and debugging skills, which serve her well in her current role that demands deep technical knowledge and logical thinking. She emphasizes the importance of asking questions and leaning on teammates, especially for women entering tech, and highlights the supportive camaraderie among women at Elastic. Sammie, who transitioned during her career, advises others to remain persistent despite challenges and to find companies that celebrate individual identities.