From the Gutter Outside the Club to the Trenches of Software Engineering
From Drag Queen to const flatironBootcamp = ‘In Progress’
I’ve worked a lot of different jobs. Like, a lot of different jobs. I’ve worked in childcare(I know, shocking, considering the above photo). I’ve assisted a non-profit create and distribute educational resources to LGBTQIA+ youth in Philadelphia. I’ve designed graphics and logos for small businesses. I’ve worked in retail management for Dr. Martens in Philly and in New York, all the while writing resumes for clients on the side for some extra scratch. The list goes on…
More recently, I worked in virtually every capacity of nightlife in Brooklyn (except for the most lucrative capacities). I have worked the doors of clubs and bars. I have DJ’ed parties. I even bartended from time to time: mostly when I wasn’t actually supposed to be, and definitely when I was unqualified to do so. My favorite job during my stint in nightlife, however, was to perform as a drag queen. I performed for several years in the Brooklyn scene (sometimes Manhattan too!). I co-produced a monthly show, I featured in other queens’ productions, and from time to time, I would host “RuPaul’s Drag Race” viewing parties. I loved every second of it… Well, not every second, and definitely not every minute, but close enough. Nothing beats the weird mix of anxiety and total euphoric excitement of stepping out on stage.
Drag, for me, was, and still is, my artistic medium. It was my job, it was my therapy, it was my bread and butter. Everything I did around it, whether it be DJ’ing or working front door security, helped fully cemented me in the lifestyle. Working in nightlife was my whole world. I met a plethora of really amazing and talented people from all walks of life. On several occasions, I had some of the most thought-provoking intellectual conversations of my whole life till the wee hours. I got a lot of time logged dancing on a lot of dance floors. However, Not everything in nightlife played out like a fantastical dream…
The uninitiated may view being a performer or nightlife personality as an exciting fantasy. In many ways, they’re not wrong. It’s exhilarating, rewarding, and, really, just a ton of fun. However, it’s also very hard to manage. It can be physically dangerous at times. It‘s also really hard to exist on the opposite side of everyone else’s schedule, which can be exceedingly isolating. For me, I got to a point in my career where I felt like I was stagnating: I couldn’t seem to go any further than the capacity I was in. I wasn’t making enough money, despite the immense physical strain I was under. Most importantly, though, there wasn’t anything new or exciting on the horizon, and I was antsy to make some changes for fear I might waste away from boredom.
Boredom, in fact, is the reason why I’ve worked in so many different fields. Every job I had, I was driven to learn everthing I could within that profession. I wanted to soak everything up and progress into higher capacities. Every time, this kept my attention for a while, but I would inevitably get to a point where I found myself not growing or learning anymore, so I would switch things up and pivot to a new profession, and a new opportunity to learn more.
When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, I was forced out of a job and forced to take a hard look at my professional pattern. I came to the conclusion that I didn’t want to just jump from job to job my whole life. I wanted to find a professional field that will be constantly evolving. A field where I will always be learning. from a young age, I was always fascinated by technology. Growing up, I had a HP Pavilion tower computer that I took apart and rebuilt several times. I taught myself how to use networking tools and set up a personal media server with that machine. I never got bored learning more about how I can use and interact with technology.
That is what led me to enroll in Flatiron School’s Software Engineering program. Software is always evolving. As new technology is produced, new software is created, implemented, and tweaked. Over time, it evolves, and I find it absolutely thrilling that I will always have to learn new skills, and whatever knowledge I have now as well as the knowledge I gain in the program will need to be constantly built upon. I would certainly be hard-pressed to get bored within those parameters.
As of now, I am in the second phase of Flatiron School’s Software Engineering bootcamp, learning all I can about JavaScript and React. I won’t lie, it has been exceedingly tough. It has been stressful. It has also been a fantastic learning experience and I’m reminded every day that choosing this endeavor is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
I don’t know what the future holds, but I can’t wait to see what new opportunities wait for me there. I even think that perhaps what I learn from this bootcamp could revitalize my drag and take it to newer and bolder heights somewhere down the line. Who knows? I’ll be sure to keep you posted.