Why I Switched Careers to Become a Software Engineer
Early interest
I always thought I knew exactly what I was going to be when I grew up. I grew up in South Florida an area notorious for hurricanes. In 2004, at the age of 12, my family was impacted by 2 hurricanes called Frances and Jeanne. When the hurricanes struck Florida, Frances was a Category 2 hurricane with winds of 105 mph and Jeanne was a Category 3 major hurricane with winds of 120 mph. Preparing for these storms involved boarding up windows to prevent damage and stocking up on canned food as it wasn’t clear when we would be able to go grocery shopping again or when electricity would be back. Storms of this nature can cause immense damage to the areas that they impact and I was enamored by their power as well as their ability to halt life as we know it. This was the beginning of my interest in meteorology, a career path I was certain to take.
In 2005, a hurricane called Wilma developed in the Caribbean Ocean and became the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic basin with 185mph winds. The storm weakened but was still a major hurricane upon impacting Florida and we would have to prepare for yet another storm. I remember being glued to the TV tracking the storm with broadcast meteorologists and listening for updates. When the storm hit, I could hear the howling winds like a freight train running past…
