Meet Stephen: First Student Blog
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AND WHAT YOU WERE DOING PRIOR TO ARRAY.
I am from a small town in West Texas. A place I was in a hurry to leave once given the opportunity. That opportunity presented itself in the form of an Army recruiter. So, there I went, to jump out of perfectly good airplanes for a few years.
Most of my adult, working experience has been mostly working in the gritty oilfields of West Texas, North Dakota/Montana, and now windy Wyoming and Northern Colorado. Surrounded by foul-mouthed, mostly hard-working individuals, I’ve managed to maintain all of my digits and sense of direction.
WHAT MADE YOU INTERESTED IN ATTENDING?
Array came along at a time that it must have known I needed it the most. I have always had a love for computers but had never been chosen to follow that path, until a few months ago. A local news station that I follow on social media did a write up and it was probably the greatest article they ever published. I decided right then, in the driver’s seat of my truck, this was the perfect time to follow that path.
WAS IT A DIFFICULT DECISION FOR YOU TO APPLY? WHAT MADE YOU ULTIMATELY DECIDE TO ATTEND?
Initially, it definitely was not a difficult decision for me. Though, over the last 2–3 months, I have teetered back and forth on whether I ultimately should follow through with this. The reasons being, I come from a long line of people who have done one thing their entire life. There’s a sense of security in that. And also, these words echo in the back of my mind, “stick with what you know…”
But, where’s the fun in that? Why stay stagnate and not challenge myself? There’s nothing in this life that guarantees safety and security so why not step out from what I know into an entirely new world.
DID YOU HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE WITH CODING OR DESIGN BEFORE ARRAY?
Learning code, for me, is going to be equivalent to learning Japanese. I did not have any experience before Array.
WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO?
I’m really looking forward to meeting all my fellow students and getting to know everyone. I’m looking forward to the total immersion into the world of code and associating with everyone involved. After meeting my two future instructors, they have been the ones who have instilled in me the excitement and drive to continue on with what has been a tough decision.
WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS ONCE YOUR GRADUATE FROM ARRAY?
My wife and I have lived in Cheyenne for 5 years and are tired of the wind. We had decided 4 1/2 years ago that we might like to move to the East Coast. She is from there and I used to live in South Carolina and really enjoyed it. We have been looking at real estate in Charleston. That is more than likely where we will end up with our two young children sometime in the first part of 2018.
WHAT’S A FUN FACT ABOUT YOURSELF?
That’s a tough one. I do not have any interesting talents, unfortunately. I haven’t won any notable awards. But, I am a pretty good singer when I’m in my car… by myself… with the radio turned up.
