A Non-Traditional Learner

Although I do indeed have a college degree in computer science, I actually taught myself a lot before actually getting a traditional degree. I taught myself stuff in middle and high school as well as between two attempts at community college, before finally transferring out to get a full BS CS. But in reality, I had a lot more arts training than technical training growing up, and I always wanted to blend both.

I even faced discouragement many times, usually in the form of claims that it wasn't my so-called "main talent" like art was. I still persevered, despite being discouraged for allegedly having "the wrong motivations". I persevered despite being selectively denied access to classes on both digital media and computer science in high school and my first attempt at community college, because of "funding concerns" and "not meeting academic expectations" (because I wasn't getting access to classes that was actually motivated by).

I have since worked in both startups and a large-cap tech company. I have even gone through some online grad school, and I wish to teach the kinds of things that I wish I had access to when I was younger. You don't need to be a so-called STEM nerd who's been banging out code since childhood to learn how to build great things. You only need inspiration and building blocks, just like a painter studying the great masters.