As I prepare to enter into my last course at Oregon State, the Online Capstone, I find myself reflecting on everything that has led me to this point in my life and career. Although this blog will mainly recount my experiences as I help my team build out our capstone project, it is fitting to provide some context into what has brought me to this portion of my journey, and what is next for me.
My whole life, my sole focus was on being a professional athlete in some capacity. I played baseball all throughout high school and had no interest in much of anything else. Ultimately college baseball was not in the cards, so I ended up coming to Texas A&M University to study Exercise Science (I didn’t really have a career plan, I just thought it would be an interesting major). During my college years, and for a couple years after, I trained as a Crossfit athlete, to try and make that a professional career as well.
After injuries and setbacks, I realized that being a Crossfit athlete was also not going to be a long-term option for me. This left me in a position where I had a degree, but still no plan with what to do with my life. Do I sell insurance? Do I just hustle as a personal trainer and try to get by? I have never been afraid of hard work, it really just came down to finding something I was passionate about and that I wouldn’t mind spending my days doing.
After some reflection and introspection, I realized that I wanted to be a computer programmer of some sort. I have always been interested in technology, I have always had a proclivity for math and science, and the pay definitely would not hurt either. So I decided to enroll in this online program, and from there, opportunities just started falling my way.
The owner of the gym I coached Crossfit at recommended me for an internship as a data analyst with a software company he was also a part of, and I quickly grew that role into a full-time developer position at the company. I was only 2 semesters into school, and already working full-time in the field. It has been such a blessing to continue to use everything I learn at OSU in my everyday work and to also not have the stress of an impending job search upon graduation.
With that being said, I am excited to add another project to my resume with this capstone, as I have not stopped creating since I started in the computer science field. Whether for my job or for personal development, I just love coding, and I hope I can continue to share the journey with you through this blog!
