Chapter One: Shooting My Shot.
They say you miss every shot you don’t take. And, well, the older I get, the more this saying resonates with me.
On April 9, 2021, I worked my last, full-time shift as an occupational therapy assistant to pursue a career in software engineering. You can say this decision didn’t come easy, and it wasn’t made lightly.
I wasn’t born with a passion for technology. I’m not a gamer. I’ve never taken apart a computer only to put it back together. I can’t tell you how the internet or a television works, but I do have a passion for learning. I’m an avid Google-er. I’m a serial hobbyist. I’m an article reader. And in 2019, I found myself temporarily unemployed while recovering from an ACL repair.
I convalesced for six months. During those six months I tried on a number of hobbies, but the one that stuck the most was completing the Full-Stack Engineer course on Codecademy.com. Writing code and watching those little empty boxes fill with green checkmarks when I filled in the right answer, became borderline addicting.
The time came for me to go back to work, and being that I thought I understood my relationship with hobbies (they come & go), I figured I’d immerse myself back into my job, life would go on and I’d find a new hobby. Well that wasn’t the case- this hobby seemed to be sticking. I started searching for more online coding lessons and listening to coding podcasts.
One day I heard about a coding bootcamp and read stories about people like me, with no STEM background whatsoever, transitioning into the field of web development. After about a year of researching and riding emotional waves of doubt and excitement, I decided to shoot my shot. I’m currently enrolled in the full-time online Software Engineering program at Flatiron School. I know for certain this road will be challenging. I also know it will be rewarding and give me the tools and opportunity to enter a field where the learning never ends.. and I’m so excited for that.
