My Coding Story
August 2019 (17 years old)
I was born in Northern Virginia to my two wonderful parents in 2001 and lived a loving and nurturing childhood.
When I was 5, I began to show an interest in technology; I loved using the family computer and eventually
got my own laptop that I continued to use for much of my childhood. Technology, and the internet, in particular, fascinated me from a young age.
At some point, I decided that I wanted to work with computers when I was an adult but didn't get any significant exposure to actual coding
until the eighth grade...
In the eight grade, we had to do a JavaScript course on Khan Academy. At first, the foreign concepts of coding
confused me, but the feeling of creating something tangible from scratch (the projects in the course)
was enough to keep me going. After the initial barrier of confusion, I began to appreciate the beauty of writing computer code
and began developing a passion for it. Soon after, my guidance counselor told me about a STEM magnet
school opening the next year and suggested that I apply. After some questions about the program, I found out that
they had an information technology program targeted to students who wanted to code. I applied and was accepted,
building a commitment to my passion of what I would soon know as computer science.
Going into my freshman year of high school, I struggled academically initially due to a poorly managed schedule leaving little time for
academics. Regardless of this lack of focus, I still showed a commitment to improving my skills in computer science. This commitment was
fueled by a growing love for computer science and facilitated by an extraordinary teacher. By the end of my sophomore year, I was almost certain that
coding is what I wanted to do.
Up to my junior year, I was tunnel-visioned on the coding aspect of computer science — not realizing the massive breadth
of the field. This changed when we began web/app development and machine learning as part of our CS class; this class
made me realize that in order to write meaningful code, you need to understand the underlying concepts behind the problem you're trying
to solve. This began a shift in mindset that the purpose of coding was not to create meaningless programs, but to solve problems. This
realization sparked a passion for math — particularly calculus — as much of the advanced concepts we covered in the class
were mathematical at their core. Throughout the course, we created programs, websites, and apps to reinforce the concepts we were learning.
One of which was a web development project where we created a website with a partner (you can find a link to both the site and GitHub
in the projects section below). This project was a welcomed contrast to the traditional coding that we had been doing to that point.
As of writing this, it is the summer before my senior year. I'm currently attempting to expand my knowledge on app development,
using the information we learned, and I plan on getting a couple of projects for that up by the end of this year. I'm also continuing to
pursue my newfound passion in math by self-teaching myself Calculus 2 and taking Linear Algebra with the local community college
during this coming fall.
That briefly covers my journey to this point. I'll update this again in two years or so, hopefully with a positive reflection on my final
year of high school.
March 2021 (19 years old)
In retrospect, I'm sure everyone saw where that was going...
Being born directly after 9/11 and living through an economic recession, my graduating class had their upbringing in an era defined by
changes to their ways of life. Most would hope that this would prepare us for future hardships, but I don't think anything could've
prepared us for this pandemic.
Hearing the hospitalizations and deaths on the news was horrible enough, but hearing those stories through friends and family was nothing short
of devastating. It seemed like what could've been the best years of our lives was ripped away from us and replaced with some dystopian fever
dream. Instead of being able to socialize with our friends and classmates for one last time, we had to do the opposite, isolating ourselves from
the people we know and love. Sadly, some of my peers
had it far worse, often grief-stricken because of situations involving their closest friends and family members, with nothing to do but be flooded with
some of the darkest emotions of their lives.
But, as days blurred together and time lost meaning, some people began to see the quarantine as a chance to improve themselves
and take advantage of an otherwise unfortunate situation. Pretty
soon, I followed suit, starting musical lessons and learning ethical hacking. As the social
distancing guidelines became more lax, I also got the chance to reconnect with family, and soon after, I began to feel like I was finally making something
of the quarantine, but there still was a part of me that felt like I could be using my time for something far better. I began development of an app —
something I've been wanting to do for a very long time. Hopefully, my next update can bring a positive reflection on that pursuit.
April 2022 (20 years old)
The app development went great, but the funding... not so much.
For context, the plan was to get funding on Kickstarter, then use Indiegogo if the Kickstarter did not go well; the reason I didn't go for a
seed funding round was because I wanted to gain a small user base in conjunction with the funding round. However, both fundraising campaigns were shut
down due to policies against Crypto projects (due to the large amount of scams as of this update).
However, I was able to get a job in the web3 space, and I believe that could be best summarized by my honest update on Linkedin:
I am stoked to announce that I'll be joining ConsenSys Codefi as a Frontend Engineer this May. Working with ConsenSys' blockchain application
suite will provide ample opportunity for me to familiarize myself with financial infrastructure running on the blockchain, all while developing my skills
in a powerful tech stack.
Codefi also empowers De-Fi protocols — a decentralized alternative to traditional finance. Since banks won’t do business in regions they classify as "high risk,"
there is a barrier to entry that prevents citizens of developing countries from saving their money using a stable currency. De-Fi protocols — paired with Stablecoins —
lower this barrier to entry down to an internet connection; Codefi’s contributions to De-Fi is what most interested me about this role.
Lastly, I would like to thank my recruiter Joe Grabowski, and my interviewers, Marta Poling, Jack Clancy, and Dylan Butler, for the smooth and swift hiring process, and
I look forward to working with all of you during this next phase in my coding journey.
Left out the hashtag spam :)
