Let me start out by saying, man oh man what a whirlwind the past 2 years have been and here is why…
3 years ago I found myself in a position where I was supervising every type of support to Canadas largest open pit coal mining operation. I was getting 70ish calls a day from everyone from employees to government officials. On top of this I was getting called on the radio approximately 1,000,000 times a shift as well. Then the cherry on top was the 20-30 phone calls I was getting on all of my “days off”. I was on the verge of a mental breakdown and needed a change of scenery.
And then there was light. I have always enjoyed using computers and have had a fascination of how they work, how applications were made, how someone can create something that some electronic currents convert into a gun shooting a zombie. I decided that this is what I wanted to learn and that this was what I was going to pursue. Obviously with my Mine Services role at the coal mine this wouldn’t be a possibility so I had to find a shift to begin the permanent change. First I found a job that provided a 14×14 shift cycle and allowed me to sit in front of a computer all day, meaning I could double dip with work and school. The transition had begun and I was on my way to becoming a computer scientist.
1.5 years later and here I am writing a blog post about my final course! Crazy how quickly it all changes. My capstone project will be my Everest, so to speak, the feather in my cap to an extremely rewarding program thus far. But I knew that this couldn’t be a graphic programming project. I can barely draw a stick man, how am I supposed to compute an interesting video game. Then voila, my top choices were made.
My main interests coming into Computer Science were AI and NLP. So naturally I went with projects surrounding these for my top few choices. My other choices were mostly focused on some underlying interests I have, specifically in finance and data management. I do have a degree in Economics after all…. not that I ever pursued this field.
Ultimately, I just want a final project that I am proud of and that I know will demonstrate to prospective employers that I am competent in my field and will excel within their organization. My strength for sure lies in my leadership ability. I do have a drive and am confident I can learn to complete almost any project, just some will be easier for me than others. But I digress, I have been in leadership roles for about 9 years of my life and feel comfortable leading a team to success. I also feel I am an excellent collaborator. Working to a common goal in a team is one of the most rewarding experiences. I strive to contribute anything and everything to achieve this goal!
Signing Out,
Geoff Miller
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