Breaking Barriers: My Journey in Tech

This is a submission for the WeCoded Challenge: Echoes of Experience Introduction "You are old enough to go to prison," my dad shouted before kicking me out of the house. That moment carved itself into my memory. Not because it was loud, but because it was real. As a teenager trying to build a life around code, that moment marked the start of a different kind of education—one that had nothing to do with syntax and everything to do with survival. My Challenges I’ve always been introverted. Not shy—just isolated, by design or by default. I didn’t have many friends, didn’t own a smartphone until college, and definitely didn’t grow up around tech. Where I’m from, being young and into programming is often mistaken for internet fraud. My first battles weren’t with bugs or errors—they were with perception. In high school, I began attracting people who were curious about the same things I was—how stuff works. We built a food dehydrator from scratch. I had never seen one in my life, but I dug into every textbook I could find. I learned how to make an electric fan spin from a broken CD drive. I chased drones, magnetic levitation, and even dabbled in rocket science, thinking I'd end up a mechanical engineer. Then a 3-month tech training changed everything. They taught us Python, HTML, CSS, and visual programming. I didn’t even want to take the course at first. I already felt like I was ahead. But the moment I typed print("Hello, World"), something clicked. From that day, I couldn’t stop. I started writing small scripts, building a chat bot until someone told me about ChatGPT. I pivoted. Made a hotel website. Added a moving background. Learned how to use GitHub. Something had been unlocked. When it came time to register for final exams, I became the first student in my school to select both Computer Studies and Data Processing. On graduation day, while others were outside taking pictures and partying, I was still in the exam hall. I scored above 95% in both. Highest in my class. Best in Computer Studies. Best in Data Processing. Best Programmer Award. It was the first time anyone publicly said I was good at something. I switched from engineering to computer science. But life didn’t get easier. My father kicked me out for being “a fraud.” My first internship vanished after I was promised a spot. I got robbed—laptop and phone gone. A girl I liked used me for my programming skills and ghosted me. Recruiters wouldn’t hire a Jr web Developer because I had no work experience. I have no money, no help, no breaks. Triumphs and Achievements Despite everything, I kept showing up. I graduated. I got my first smartphone and laptop in college. That alone felt like a miracle. I kept coding. Built over 100 GitHub repositories, crossed 700+ commits this year. I mastered Python, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, MySQL, and explored OOP, cloud computing, and cybersecurity. I’m still an introvert in college. Still figuring things out. But now I know who I am. I'm failing more than I’ve won, but every error teaches me something deeper than success ever could. And I’m not done. Not even close. im just beginning. Lessons Learned Believe Yourself first – Fate scorns those who have no faith in themselves. Keep 1 True Friend, Dismiss 100 False friends - Abandoning social validation for someone that truly cares about your improvement is a gem only few can possess. Love is rare - Genius is the curse of all introverts, most people don't like that. You are unique - Diamond shines brightly but it would never tell you the stress and dirt it went through. Bad luck is common - A catapult has to be drawn back to launch forward. The more you know, the sadder you become - knowing everything but inability to change them is itself a burden for the heart. Sacrifice all for the ones that matter - gaining everything but having no one to live for is painful. Inspiring Others To others having greater peril or less than mine, believe in one self and the universe will align to thy will.

Apr 5, 2025 - 20:53

This is a submission for the WeCoded Challenge: Echoes of Experience

Introduction

"You are old enough to go to prison," my dad shouted before kicking me out of the house.

That moment carved itself into my memory. Not because it was loud, but because it was real. As a teenager trying to build a life around code, that moment marked the start of a different kind of education—one that had nothing to do with syntax and everything to do with survival.

My Challenges

I’ve always been introverted. Not shy—just isolated, by design or by default. I didn’t have many friends, didn’t own a smartphone until college, and definitely didn’t grow up around tech. Where I’m from, being young and into programming is often mistaken for internet fraud. My first battles weren’t with bugs or errors—they were with perception.

In high school, I began attracting people who were curious about the same things I was—how stuff works. We built a food dehydrator from scratch. I had never seen one in my life, but I dug into every textbook I could find. I learned how to make an electric fan spin from a broken CD drive. I chased drones, magnetic levitation, and even dabbled in rocket science, thinking I'd end up a mechanical engineer.

Then a 3-month tech training changed everything.

They taught us Python, HTML, CSS, and visual programming. I didn’t even want to take the course at first. I already felt like I was ahead. But the moment I typed print("Hello, World"), something clicked.

From that day, I couldn’t stop. I started writing small scripts, building a chat bot until someone told me about ChatGPT. I pivoted. Made a hotel website. Added a moving background. Learned how to use GitHub. Something had been unlocked.

When it came time to register for final exams, I became the first student in my school to select both Computer Studies and Data Processing. On graduation day, while others were outside taking pictures and partying, I was still in the exam hall. I scored above 95% in both. Highest in my class. Best in Computer Studies. Best in Data Processing. Best Programmer Award.

It was the first time anyone publicly said I was good at something.

I switched from engineering to computer science. But life didn’t get easier. My father kicked me out for being “a fraud.” My first internship vanished after I was promised a spot. I got robbed—laptop and phone gone. A girl I liked used me for my programming skills and ghosted me. Recruiters wouldn’t hire a Jr web Developer because I had no work experience. I have no money, no help, no breaks.

Triumphs and Achievements

Despite everything, I kept showing up. I graduated. I got my first smartphone and laptop in college. That alone felt like a miracle. I kept coding. Built over 100 GitHub repositories, crossed 700+ commits this year. I mastered Python, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, MySQL, and explored OOP, cloud computing, and cybersecurity.

I’m still an introvert in college. Still figuring things out. But now I know who I am.

I'm failing more than I’ve won, but every error teaches me something deeper than success ever could. And I’m not done. Not even close. im just beginning.

Lessons Learned

Believe Yourself first – Fate scorns those who have no faith in themselves.
Keep 1 True Friend, Dismiss 100 False friends - Abandoning social validation for someone that truly cares about your improvement is a gem only few can possess.
Love is rare - Genius is the curse of all introverts, most people don't like that.
You are unique - Diamond shines brightly but it would never tell you the stress and dirt it went through.
Bad luck is common - A catapult has to be drawn back to launch forward.
The more you know, the sadder you become - knowing everything but inability to change them is itself a burden for the heart.
Sacrifice all for the ones that matter - gaining everything but having no one to live for is painful.

Inspiring Others

To others having greater peril or less than mine, believe in one self and the universe will align to thy will.