Cohort Stories: Meet Michael
vol. 5, no. 59 — guest post by Michael Jean Jacques
My earliest memory of using technology was in a computer literacy class during my senior year of high school. I was introduced to the basics of HTML and learned how to create and style a website by following along on a prewritten file. I thought it was the coolest thing, that I could see the site update in the browser before my eyes with every line of code I wrote. I did not realize that I could pursue coding as a career until recently, after hearing about all the successful self-taught programmers. This inspired me to begin my journey of breaking into the tech industry. I started teaching myself JavaScript and ultimately enrolled in a 6-month Full Stack Web Development bootcamp, hosted by my alma mater, University of New Hampshire. Through this bootcamp, I learned how to build and deploy dynamic and modern websites. Since then I have been working on learning different programming languages and working on open source projects.
I find myself excited by the level of innovation happening in the software industry. The technology behind development is always changing. I fully understand that I will have to be a lifelong learner to keep up with the rapid advancement.
Frontend frameworks such as React, Angular, and Vue.js have changed the way websites are created. They come with their own learning curve, but ultimately result in me learning tools designed to make my job as a developer more efficient. I look forward to seeing how technology continues to evolve and hope to be a part of the change.
After reading about Hack.Diversity’s mission statement, I quickly knew that this was the organization for me to align myself with, to achieve my goal of becoming a software engineer. Hack.Diversity’s affiliations with the top companies in the Boston area will be beneficial for me to expand my personal network and launch my career. I am also looking forward to the mentorship and training that will prepare me to succeed before I start my first role.
I am incredibly grateful to be around a group of people who will support me throughout this program and will provide guidance as I switch into the tech industry. I look forward working with the peers in my cohort to create unique and exciting projects.
