My Journey

The Road Thus Far

A great Eastern philosopher once said, "The journey of a thousand miles, begins with a single step." That is certainly how you could describe my own Journey to Software Development. It has felt at times like a thousand-mile road that is twisting and turning, but it has undoubtedly been one worth traveling.

I have lived a very rewarding life. The product of a broken home where I watched my mother work tirelessly to fend for me and my three brothers, I saw the bravery and determination that it takes to succeed and to do what is right. I was the first in my immediate family to get a Bachelors degree and have devoted most of my life to the bi-vocational Christian ministry; many years of which I spent working dead-end jobs to make ends meet for my growing family. But I don't regret a second of it.

From 2018-2020 I worked Full-time as High School English teacher, where I grew so much more confident in my unique giftings and personality, as well as my career aspirations. Software Development quickly became my targeted career. I never wanted another carreer so much! So I put my hands to the grind just before the virus hit in 2020 and devoted nearly every waking hour from that point on to learning how to program. I gathered a bunch of friends who wer already working in this field and just began to learn how to learn. I picked up Python on the recommendation of a friend and just kept going. I completed a 5 month nanodegree program from Udacity in under 2 and just couldn't stop there. Ever since then I have put myself to work seeking to meet needs that I see with code.

The Challenge

I have a big family. And as the sole income earner in my household, the difficulties of physically going back to school were insurmountable. The shear amount of material that there is to learn in this industry and the nature of not being required to actually learn any one thing, made it difficult to measure success. So instead I resolved to do the next best thing... I learned how to problem solve. Having a keen eye for detail and loads of perseverance, I leaned into establishing myself as an excellent student. So even though formal education was not at the time accessible to me, like Steve Jobs, I set my mind then to understanding what was necessary rather than what was simply available. I looked for ways to serve in with my programming knowledge. It was this that led me to pick up Flutter and Firebase and begin development on an app to increase community in my own local Church Congregation.

Perhaps one of the biggest challenges that I have faced on this journey, even to this moment, has been simply finding a company that would be willing to employ someone of my limited experience. I am at my best when I am given vision and I know my expectations. I thrive under healthy leadership. I know that, given the proper opportunity, I am more than capable of learning the necessary skills to accomplish any task. I have proven myself diligent and competent in multiple workplace environments. Though I know I still have so much to learn, I am confident that I have what it takes to add value to any development team.

The Goal

The goal is simple: as a devoted father I want to do everything that is in my power to ensure that my family is well taken care of. There is no greater injustice done to a family then when a father relinquishes his responsibility to provide for his famliy. I resolve to work tirelessly to achieve excellence in whatever I put my hands to in order to meet this end. My desire then is to put these diligent hands to work for a company who values the same ethic; a business unashamed to work hard to achieve its vision with integrity and honor for the sake of the people that it serves. I want to dedicate my working hours to something that really matters, then to hang my hat when I get home and have the capacity to take care of what matters most.