This is it…the beginning of the end. When I first started this journey of becoming a software engineer two and a half years ago, the end seemed so far away. I was unhappy with my job and every day was a grind. In the back of my mind, I knew my true passion lies with computers, as I practically grew up on video games and spent most of my childhood in front of a screen. However, I was afraid of going back to school as a non-traditional student. Sure, there was the cost and time commitment to think about. But what actually scared me the most was having to face the possibility that I wasted years pursuing a career I had no passion for.

I think a lot of my peers enrolled in the post-baccalaureate CS program have had to face the same fears. But like them, I did eventually enroll. And looking back at it now, it was the perfect time to do so. I started my classes at the beginning of 2020, just as the covid pandemic began. Because of this, my modified work schedule gave me more time to focus on classes at home. The self-paced learning also allowed me to stay a full-time employee, which was a necessity for my wife and I. It seems that in the end, my experience wasn’t so different from that of a “traditional” student after all.

Every class that I took so far was interesting (well, some less than others). I studied harder than ever before, because I wanted to prove to myself and to everyone around me that I could do it. But I couldn’t have done it by myself. My family, friends and professors helped keep me sane during the stressful times and they all understood that I would be incredibly busy. If it weren’t for them, I probably would have quit the program halfway.

To be honest, I’m not a good writer and I don’t really like talking about myself. But out of respect for whoever may be reading this, I’ll try my best! I was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, and as mentioned previously, have always enjoyed being in front of a computer screen. My family knows me as their designated “IT guy”. My friends know me as they guy who helps them build their computers. In terms of programming, I enjoy high-level languages like Python and JavaScript the most and prefer building full-stack applications. When I’m not coding, I like to get outdoors and play tennis or basketball. I’m also a “foodie”, but then again, I feel like most people are.

This blog will not only be used to keep track of my capstone project progress, but will serve as a reminder of how far I’ve come on my journey. Perhaps one day I’ll look back on this with fondness. Perhaps it’ll be the opposite. For now, my only focus is to help my group create the best capstone project we can.