My journey towards becoming an engineer has been a testament to this belief, marked by unwavering perseverance and unyielding determination in the face of countless challenges and setbacks.
My coding journey was far from a straightforward path. It began with a humble Python course on Udemy, a mere spark that ignited a long and profound learning experience. The realization that coding was my true calling came gradually but with absolute certainty. I knew I wanted to pursue this path for the long term.
To make this dream a reality, I embarked on a rigorous schedule that demanded discipline and dedication. Balancing a full-time job, a side business, powerlifting training, and coding classes which were not easy. Yet, I understood that this was the future I envisioned for myself, and I was willing to put in the hard work required to get there.
The pivotal moment in my journey came when I decided to take a leap of faith and enroll in a coding bootcamp. Leaving behind my long and stable career in sales was a risk that weighed heavily on my mind. However, I was prepared to bet on myself because I believed that coding was my true calling, the path to my future.
The path to the bootcamp was not without its trials. Life threw unexpected obstacles my way, including the unexpected loss of my job months before starting my bootcamp and the threat of losing my apartment. Many would have faltered, but I was determined. I had committed to this journey, and I refused to let adversity deter me from my dream of becoming a software engineer.
In my pursuit, I leveraged the resources at my disposal and sought sponsorship by networking with business owners and company presidents. Their support allowed me to continue my education and training, reinforcing my belief that determination and tenacity could surmount any obstacle.
Completing the coding bootcamp was a significant achievement, but it didn't come without its own set of challenges. After graduation, I found myself in a precarious position. My sponsorship had ended, and I had exhausted my savings. Despite numerous job applications and networking efforts, rejection emails piled up.
Faced with this harsh reality, it was a tough decision that required me to make some difficult choices. One of those choices involved ending my apartment lease, knowing that I could no longer afford it. This meant I needed to find temporary housing, relying on the generosity of friends and family who offered me a temporary place to stay. In this period of transition, I took a step back and drew upon the sales skills I had honed over the years. I secured a sales position that would provide for my immediate needs while I continued to pursue my dream. I turned to local coffee shops, not only as places to work on coding projects but also as environments that fostered my learning and provided me with the resources to continue applying for jobs in the tech industry.
This phase of my journey has undoubtedly been one of the most challenging, testing my resilience and determination to the limits. Yet, through it all, one thing remains steadfast: my dream of becoming a software engineer. As I sit in a local coffee shop, writing this essay, I am determined in my commitment to this goal. I am about to start a new job in sales, registered for my first hackathon, and as I continue the hunt for a permanent place to live and diligently work on coding projects after work.
In conclusion, my life has been a testament to unwavering perseverance and unyielding determination. My journey towards becoming an engineer has been a continuous battle against adversity, but I have learned that it is precisely during the most challenging times that our determination shines the brightest. My commitment to this dream is unwavering, and I am ready to bring this same determination and tenacity to my future as an engineer.
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