Part 4 — From Adversity To Algorithms: The Journey Of Emily Hoang
Chapter 4: The Desperate Desire for a Better Future
As the years went by, working long hours in hospitality started taking its toll. The work was tiring with inconsistent pay and no career growth. Raising a young daughter while juggling a long working-hour job left me exhausted. I yearned for stability to provide her with a good life, yet stability seemed so far out of reach.
One afternoon, I discussed with my husband about the possibilities of my next career that could improve our lives. He suggested that I could try programming which would be challenging but offered better prospects, and he was happy to help. With his knowledge and experience working in the tech industry for over 15 years, I was able to get his help to understand more about technology and how to take my first step to becoming a programmer.
However, easier said than done, the complex programming concepts felt foreign and daunting. I expressed my doubts about being able to learn such advanced skills without any technical background. But deeply, I knew that my daughter’s future depended on us providing a stable environment and opportunities for growth. Witnessing her brilliance and potential, I was determined to break the cycle of poverty and instability that had plagued my family for generations. A single eureka moment crystalised my decision — if I didn’t take a chance to better our lives now, I may regret it forever.
Gradually, I embarked on my journey by delving into a vast amount of online resources whenever I had some spare moments by myself.
These moments became my sanctuary for learning the fundamental principles of coding, as I harnessed the power of the internet to acquire the knowledge that would lay the foundation for my newfound technical prowess. Initially, the syntax and logic seemed alien and frustrating. However, I persisted with small wins, building on each new concept I grasped. Whenever possible, I scoured the internet for free courses and workshops to supplement my self-study. My husband sensed my motivation and tutored me patiently whenever he was free. He also encouraged me to participate in in-person workshops. Those workshops were invaluable opportunities for me to connect with individuals who were already deeply entrenched in the industry, as well as those, like me, who aspired to be a part of it. These gatherings promised not only knowledge exchange but also a chance to forge meaningful connections that could potentially shape my future in this dynamic field.
Slowly but surely, my technical knowledge grew. Late into the night, I coded away on our old desktop, debugging each mini-project I created. The satisfaction of problem-solving fuelled my passion. While the learning curve was steep, small successes kept me going. Soon, my skills were at a level where I believed in my abilities. It was time to transform this newfound qualification into a stable career for our family.
Little did I know the challenges ahead on this journey, but I was ready to put in the hard work to build a better future.
