Cohort Stories: Meet Isaac
vol. 5, no. 46 — guest post by Isaac Howard Jr.
When it comes to my background, I am most proud of the village that has raised me to where I am now. Reflecting on my past, there were many people that I was able to look up to despite harsh circumstances. These were people who were able to overcome their circumstance and become better than what the world expected from them. I am proud to be a Liberian; Africa’s oldest republic, and the first African nation to elect a woman as president. Despite the hardships the nation faced with the civil wars and Ebola outbreak, we were able to persevere, overcome, and strive for better change. I am also proud to be from East Orange, New Jersey. Despite not being the best neighborhood, and having some gang activity, there are many educators seeking real change in the community.
My background, and the countless characters that I’ve interacted in these environments, have shaped me to be resilient and overcoming. I hold the torch lit by all their efforts, and am proud to be a representation of the communities I grew up in.
They have given me the perspective and determination I needed to become successful. I hope to be someone younger generations in these communities can be proud of as well.
Technology to me has always been a gateway to opportunity. I believe that the advancements in technology can work to bridge various disparities that plague our world. I started becoming interested in technology at a very young age thanks to my dad’s working with computers around me. What further kicked off my passion for computers was one of my teachers in middle school. Mr. Kofi Owens was my amazing computer lab teacher. Being at a predominately black school, he made clear to us the value of learning technology and the opportunities that it can open for us. He would stay hours after school with us teaching some basic computer concepts and being genuinely interested in our future. Mr. Owens encouraged me to take a coding class in high school, and I ended up loving every bit of it. I enjoyed solving problems and learning this new programming language. Sadly, Mr. Owens was shot and killed in 2018, but his inspirations have led me down the path I am now.
Every year I saw the growing importance of technology and just how important it is for younger generations to see someone like me in the technology field to be their inspiration.
Balancing the different responsibilities life brings can be physically and mentally exhausting. You often tend to lose sight of what you’re fighting for as a result. For me, my family is by far my biggest support and inspiration. I was born a few years after the first Liberian civil war and a year before the start of the second civil war. Growing up in a war filled environment, my parents always fought their best to take us out of it and seek better opportunities. My mom and dad worked hard to make sure we were able to come to America, have a roof over our heads, and receive a good education. My dad sacrificed watching my sisters and I grow up to work with the UN and provide a stable income to allow these opportunities. My mom sacrificed hours of her time working late hours to ensure we could make the most of our potential. My sisters have worked hard, gone to college, and did the best with all that we were afforded. What motivates me is to not waste their efforts. I want to be able to live the life they worked so hard to provide and give the same to others. My family and I were lucky enough to obtain a better life, but there are many families in Liberia who weren’t so lucky. My motivation is to give the same chances I obtained to as many as I can.
