Why did I decide to study Software Engineering?

I first came to Austin as a hospitality intern with a business degree and experience working concierge. However, the dynamic changes in the hospitality and tourism industry in Austin gave me the opportunity to be exposed to a profession I had never previously considered. When I began working for an on-line based hospitality start-up, my computer savvy set me out among my peers working for the front desk team. My bosses took note of my potential without me even realizing and began to set me up with the tech department to be trained in some basic programming when their department was overwhelmed. I was able to pick up instructions much faster than a coworker who was selected to assist as well. I was hooked. I wanted to learn more about software development and get in on what this team was doing for our company. My superiors saw my interest and encouraged me to apply for a position in the tech department. Unfortunately, when you work for a startup, you have to be flexible. After interviewing, they cut the budget for that position and the posting was taken down. But, my new found interest was still there and I wanted to see what I could do to get myself into the growing tech field.

Since I already had a bachelor’s degree, honestly, I didn’t want to spend the time or money on a new degree. My wife graduated from nursing school last year and neither of us was prepared for another four-year commitment. Of course, my research brought me to programming boot camps. This option was perfect for me. It would allow me to get the hands-on training that I wanted and would allow me to get out into the workplace much faster. It seemed everything had fallen into place for me and now all I had to do was find the best program. That’s where Flatiron came in. When I was in college, I had no real interest in school. I ditched classes to pick up extra shifts because I wanted to be out in the world working. The classroom environment was so sterile to me. I wanted to learn from my experiences. But, so far, Flatiron has been an entirely different experience for me. I feel passionate and engaged in learning about programming. I am so excited to be building a new career for myself.