My background is in teaching. I love it. That's why I got into that field. It is a good feeling to help other people through the same struggles you went through. I’m also a musician. I started teaching English at the Academy of Art University and California College of the Arts, but got more and more interested in technology being around others who were technically minded.
I hit a plateau and wanted to be challenged. I already had two degrees and [an additional] four-year degree was just out of the question. I've already paid off two student loans. I'm in my mid 30s entering into my late 30s.
In 2017 I met a Lambda student who put me in touch with Lambda's founder, Austen, and within a week I was enrolled and diving deep into the whole thing. Now I'm a software engineer at a company that employs people with a master's and PhD in computer science and math, so it's a complete transition. As you know, teachers don't make much money and that's unfortunate considering how much work there is, but I'm making significantly more now.
I'm excited to go in to work everyday. Even better than that, I’m curious. I'm curious about what I'm going to discover or run into, what problems, what solutions. It's been a journey, and I couldn’t have gotten there with Lambda's support, curriculum, and encouragement.
