Back in 2016, I saw the writing on the wall. I was an active duty service member stationed overseas with my family. I was not happy where I was at, and I wanted to be challenged differently other than physically. I opted to not re-enlist, especially not as a Military Policeman. I didn't know what the future held, but it would be better than that. Every other day, I would have senior leaders try and convince me to stay, but my heart and mind were set. I wanted to focus on college and be one of the first in my family to graduate. I am a first-generation Mexican American, after all.
I moved back to Illinois and started off by going to a community college to get my bearings straight. I reacclimated relatively quickly and had my life changed by a world religions class as a prerequisite to enrolling at DePaul University. Truthfully I didn't do so great during high school. I passed but only just so. I was ecstatic when I received the news that I was accepted to DePaul University.
I enjoyed video games and still do, and I thought that's what I wanted to do. So, I majored in game development. It was fun and challenging, just what I was searching for. I had programmed way back in middle school using Flash and ActionScript but had a rough time when it came to complex scripting. But I didn't feel fulfilled, and the culture fit at DePaul wasn't for me.
Before the pandemic's shutdown in Feb of 2020, I took a bet on myself. I enrolled in Lambda School to study Full Stack Web Development. I had programmed websites and used Photoshop to make a template, slicing the images and then using Dreamweaver to stitch them back together! This time it was more accessible and more fun! During the latter part of 2020, I enrolled in Columbia College Chicago , where I am finally at peace with the culture fit and degree major.
Throughout my time in Lambda School, I had a heck of a time and met some incredible people. And sometimes, Lambda School threw curve balls at us, but we adapted, overcoming those obstacles. I'm glad I took that chance because I genuinely enjoy making interactive media whether it be full stack web applications, front end for sites, or games.
Suffice to say this, view my verified achievement from Lambda School !
Final note, I just want to thank my wife, Lorain, for being there for me during the long days and some dark times. I truly am blessed to have her and our daughter. Now it's time to finish that degree!
Photo by Goran Ivos on Unsplash