Hi, I’m Pauline!

My friends also call me Paw, with some people sending me emails with my name spelled Pawlean, which I find pretty cool.

I’ve been compared to cells’ big ol’ powerhouse before because of energy I credit from the hour I dedicate to myself daily: I take care of my mind, move my body, and write.

I haven’t always been like this. But as with every dramatic story, I had a big wake-up call in 2016. Now, I love training and thinking like a superhero. My world needed saving, so I saved it. 🦸🏻‍♀️

Taken where I grew up 🇬🇧

For the last 16 years, I’ve lived in a small green city in the North of England called Sheffield. I usually tell folks on the road that I live in London or Manchester to avoid explaining where my magical, alpaca-filled home is.

Although I call the UK my home, the Philippines will always be my home-home which explains why 90% of my conversations are about missing the sun.

Recently, I’ve been on the transition to becoming a full-time digital nomad. 🎒

Anywhere with a beach is where I feel the most at home

My accent keeps people guessing; I’ve been told I sound Aussie and American. But none of those is correct, and to be honest, I’m still trying to understand what accent I have. 🤪 You can judge for yourself by watching a video or listening to me on a podcast.

Another fun fact is that I have a non-identical twin who describes me as overly dramatic, but I always like to remind her that this helped me get into a movie once.

I love purple. To be more specific: #A47DA4.

Being a Multi-Hyphenate


A what now?

The multi-hyphenate, an individual with so many skills they need multiple hyphens to list them, might seem like a revolutionary form of labour agency within a prescriptive job market.

– Source

I’m currently working at Gitpod as Senior Developer Advocate. Read more about taking the leap of faith into my dream role and my experience the last two years.

Previously, I worked in the technology industry as a DevOps Engineer (2021), Site Reliability Engineer, Digital Engineering Graduate (2020), and Biomedical Sciences student (2018).

I’m a believer that anyone can learn anything with time and determination. I don’t hold a Computer Science degree; my interest in tech sparked as I grew up on the internet, building websites for fun.

Code First: Girls Northern Conference 2018
Speaking at the Inspire Women in Tech Conference in Nottingham in 2018

Although I enjoy and love what I do in the tech world, I’m continuously avoiding being labeled solely by my job. We’re all more than our fancy job titles!

I’m the daughter of first-generation Filipino migrants, a sister, and an explorer. Additionally, I like to dip my feet into creative media, building communities, getting on stage to voice my ideas and stories, powerlifting, and writing.

In other words, I’m a multi-hyphenate…a proud, kick-ass, trail-blazing one.