Why the change
Tags: javascript, productivity, codenewbie
Published: 2022-08-24 21:59:36

I am a Zimbabwean born, South Africa from a mixed race family, my mother being Indian and my father is mixed raced from Zambia.  Identifying as mixed race has never been an issue for me personally but it has been evident in my life that the color of your skin can influence your opportunities in the world or how people may perceive you.  

My professional life has been dedicated to working in hospitality industry, which I also went to university for and earned a degree in. The hospitality industry has been deeply affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and in South Africa hospitality has been devastated. Myself and many colleagues and friend have lost jobs. At this time our unemployment rate in South Africa is 74% for people between the ages of 18 and 30 years old. I knew I needed to make a change to ensure I provide myself and my family with a stable career path for my future. 

 Since I have been out of work since the pandemic started i have taken a huge interest in starting fresh, making a change and going into the tech world. I meet several people who are software engineers who went to bootcamps and it was at that point which made me want to learn about coding and all there is. Since I was really young never had anything handed to me. I grew up in a house where, if I wanted something I had to find a way to get it myself. After my parents divorce, I was expected to assist my mother and sister finically however I can. I believe an opportunity to learn software engineering will give me skills and confident to grow an individual and professionally. It will give me purpose and a path forward to support my dreams

I find software engineering links to hospitality in a way you can be so involved and have the ability to see your work make a difference or even help just one person. I never imagined that.  My educational background is based solely on hospitality as I find joy in interacting with people and being able to provide an act of service that can better them or help them, which I am learning so can a software engineer. 

I was fortunate enough to be able to attend Flatiron these past three months, it has defiantly opened my eyes and made me realize I have so much more to offer and the opportunities are endless if you have the ability to strive for more. I have been pushed outside of my comfort zone there have been endless nights of wonder, imposter syndrome, and just days that you are frustrated. But there is also the positive aspect to all this and that is seeing the work you are doing and how rewarding it can be each time you accomplish something or learn more you realize what joy it brings to you. 

I am excited to see what the future holds and to continue to build on my experience and new path it is not going to be easy. I have in these past three months understood more of who I am and how I would like to integrate my past career with my current one and that would entail me not sitting Infront of a computer coding all day. but it will be a challenge and I feel getting through the course of Flatiron was the hardest challenge and its should be easier from here. 

Stay tuned more is yet to come.