I was born and raised in Northwest Ohio. After graduating from high school in the area, I went to study at the University of Toledo.
College was confusing, difficult and also very fun. I changed majors several times. I knew what I wanted to study, but I knew that if I pursued it, I'd have to figure out my career path after graduation. Passion ended up beating practicality and I left UT with a philosophy degree and just as much confusion as when I entered college.
After college, I jumped back into the marina attendant position I had been working throughout my time at university. I spent less than a year there and then pivoted into a substitute teaching role. Also during this time, I took on a remote intern position studying mindfulness at the University of Michigan.
The teaching role was one of the most fulfilling positions I've ever had. It was simultaneously one of the worst jobs I've ever had for my mental health. It took one really bad day and I decided that I couldn't handle working in a school. I needed to pivot.
I've always loved working with technology, but never found the right fit for myself. During my lunch break on that rough school day, I researched what I could study for free. I stumbled into free web development resources, was intrigued by the content immediately, and thought to myself, "alright, you're going to see this through."
I spent the rest of the school year learning about web development in my free time. Once the school year came to a close, I was able to acquire a part-time position with the United States Postal Service while I continued to study.
The Postal Service also wasn't easy, but it provided me with some money and helped me pay off my student loans. With it being a part-time job, I was able to dedicate large amounts of time outside of work to study web development.
When I felt ready, I put together a portfolio and began applying. The rest is history!
Now I work as a developer learning about code every single day. I couldn't love it more! I continue to study web development on my own with the goal of improving my skills slowly, but surely.