From August 2015 to May 2019, I attended Achieve Early College High School, a dual enrollment high school that gives students the opportunity to pursue both their high school diploma and their associate's degree in the field of their choosing. When I first attended, I originally wanted to pursue an associate's degree in engineering, which I decided that I wanted to do during eigth grade.

However, fate had different plans.

One day, I went into my counselor's office, and we were talking about the different plans. At that point, I was already beginning to have doubts about whether to pursue an engineering degree. When they said that I could switch to computer science instead, I honestly thought that it was a weird topic, but I would take that opportunity regardless since I wanted to see if it fit me or not.

That day, without even realizing it, I had made the best decision that would eventually set the foundation for the person that I am today. Furthermore, my interest in wanting to know how computer programs worked, along with my interest in how software development is applied in relevant fields such as artificial intelligence and automated systems (the latter of which I was heavily interested in when I was younger) were also contributing factors to this decision.

Lastly, when I wrote my first program, which was a "Hello, world!" program in C++, I immediately realized that I can make my programs behave the way I want them to depending on what their purpose would be. Thinking through problems logically and in a structured manner is my hobby, and as someone who values structure and routine--similar to an algorithm that executes in steps--that being able to manipulate the logic flow of a program is what finally set my interest and future career in software engineering in stone.

I subsequently graduated from high school with not just my diploma, but also with an associate's degree in computer science from South Texas College, both of which occurred in May 2019.

After high school, I attended the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) from August 2019 to May 2023. I pursued my bachelor's degree in computer engineering throughout this time, and I heavily focused on software development since my concentration focused more on that field.

During my time in college, I had to overcome a significant amount of challenges, which only ramped up as the years went by. What made these challenges unique was the timing of it all, as they coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.

Long story short, the transition to online learning for a year caused my grades to go down, even failing two courses in one summer semester the same year the pandemic started. What surprised me the wasn't the fact that I failed two courses in one semester (which to be honest, was a first time for me); it was the thought that I could easily conquer the courses with ease without the need to fully understand the material presented to me.

While I still experienced inconsistency in my grades, since I would get all good grades in one semester, or one or two decent to bad grades in another, it was during that time that I decided to adjust my study habits and the resolve to fully understand what I am learning, even if it meant making mistakes along the way.

All of my efforts began to pay off in the Spring of 2022, and from that point on, I began to receive A's and B's in all of my courses leading up to my graduation in May 2023. Furthermore, from Fall 2022 to Spring 2023, I took my senior design course, helping with the software development aspect of it. While I cannot divulge exactly what I built due to confidentiality rules, my advisors and course instructor were very approving of it, thus passing a major hurdle that I have spent the last four years preparing for.

A week later, I graduated with my bachelor's degree in computer engineering with a concentration in software development. Immediately afterwards, I began my job search journey, one that would take nearly two years until I got my current job.

Starting the job search was not easy. Unfortunately, after I had graduated, I realized that due to the layoffs that have been occurring at numerous companies, the odds of finding a job as a software engineer or as a software developer were very slim. Furthermore, this meant that the competition was going to be more intense than I originally expected, since the shortage of actual SWE jobs had a lot of people vying to be hired.

To sum up, the job search from May 2023 through February 2025 was absolutely brutal. Rejection after rejection, filler job after filler job, getting ghosted--it was absolutely relentless. Unfortunately, like many others who wanted their chance to start off their careers, my self-esteem took a serious hit. I have felt lows before in my life, but it was the first such time I felt it hit harder due to the lack of opportunities and false hope. As much as I wanted to give up, I kept going and it would eventually pay off.

I landed my first opportunity in the industry as a software engineer fellow at Headstarter AI in July 2024, which helped me gather the much needed experience I needed for my next job later in February 2025. I learned to work with a team, collaborate with others, play into each other's strengths, and making sure that we met our deadlines.

Aside from that, I also took the time to continue honing my skills and craft in software development. I undertook the mission of developing a dating web app, and while there are a lot of them out there in the social media landscape, it has helped me learn crucial lessons in software development, as well as how developing such applications play a role into the user experience--the latter of which I always heavily emphasize on.

On a personal note, I also took the time to spend more time with my family, including trying out new places I thought never existed and experience what it is to be a young adult. Experiencing new things has allowed me to embrace any opportunity that comes around, knowing that they can allow me or anyone else to grow.

Fast forward to December 2024, I was interviewed for a programmer position at my current workplace. While I cannot share exactly what happened during the interview, my future boss reassured me that I had potential. Fast forward two months later, I started working as a graphic designer, along with programming responsibilities.

This effectively ended the nearly two-year job search that I have been on since I graduated in May 2023.

Now, fast forward 6 months later, I am in a much better position than I was when I was a recent computer engineering graduate who looked for his first job--a job search that took nearly two years until I was given the chance to do so.

Furthermore, I am grateful not only for the people who have supported me, but I am also grateful for having gained more professional experience in my field and for building new connections along the way.

The life lessons I learned along the way can be very beneficial for those who are in a similar situation as I was 2 years ago. For those of you reading my story, these are words of wisdom I want to offer:

Life is hard. Very hard. It makes us want to give up, and like many others who were affected by recent events happening in our world, and especially in the tech industry, I wanted to take the same path too. You may feel anxious, angry, and even furious towards those who are playing it safe instead of taking risks with new talent.

Experience matters, but what difference does it make if people are not given a chance to prove themselves?

In spite of that, we also have our part to play. Continuing to develop your craft and securing interviews, at least one or few, is crucial. Sure, you might fail some, but how you respond to these challenges is what is going to make a difference.

When you secure your position, you will have any doubts you have had about yourself wrong. You will have proved others who doubted your abilities wrong. And above all, you will have proved to yourself that you are capable of doing anything.

At the end of the day, it falls on them, but at the same time, it falls on us to respond and grow from these experiences, whether we choose to or not.

If y'all want to ask me questions, don't hesitate to contact me on LinkedIn. Good luck! And remember--always believe in yourself, no matter what others or your inner critic may say.