Meet Edward: My first Array student blog
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AND WHAT YOU WERE DOING PRIOR TO ARRAY.
My name is Eddie Wong, I grew up in Long Island, New York. My wife is a Cheyenne native. We moved to Fort Collins about 2 years ago, and we’ve been loving it out here. Prior to joining Array, I worked for a benefits consultant firm and involved in the retirement plan industry for about 12 years. I came to the realization that this isn’t something I wanted to do for the rest of my working years, so I decided to make a career change.
WHAT MADE YOU INTERESTED IN ATTENDING?
I’ve always been interested in computer programming and software development. I was originally a computer science major in college for the first year and a half before changing my majors (I ended up with applied mathematics and economics degrees). Throughout the years, I’ve always had the desire to go back to complete learning software development and pursue a career in this field.
WAS IT A DIFFICULT DECISION FOR YOU TO APPLY? WHAT MADE YOU ULTIMATELY DECIDE TO ATTEND?
It was a fairly difficult decision for me to apply. The biggest challenge was stepping out of my comfort zone and complacency, to leave the career I’ve had built up for the past 12 years and pursue something entirely new. Ultimately, my desire of following my passion overcame my fear of uncertainty and stepping into the unknown.
DID YOU HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE WITH CODING OR DESIGN BEFORE ARRAY?
I’ve taken a few computer science courses back in college, and I’ve dabbled with a few online computer programming courses.
WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO?
Learning these new and exciting skills with my fellow classmates and being with a group of people who are as passionate about coding and software development as I am.
WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS ONCE YOUR GRADUATE FROM ARRAY?
I will pursue a new career in software development. I haven’t figured out what that looks like yet, but it is something that I’ll be able to explore throughout my time at Array.
WHAT’S A FUN FACT ABOUT YOURSELF?
Even though I grew up in Long Island and practically surrounded by the ocean, I’ve never learned how to swim. I will sink like a rock if you put me in the water. Good thing I’m now living in a land-locked state!
