Cohort Stories: Meet Mickey
vol. 4, no. 49 — guest post by Mickey Martinez
Just 60 miles north of “la frontera entre México y Estados Unidos” is the majestic city of Tucson, AZ. My earliest memories are rooted in South Tucson — A 1 square mile enclave within Tucson that’s rich in Hispanic culture, and inhabited by multi-generational households. My Tata introduced me to athletics at an early age, and the competitive aspect provided me with a platform to create an individual identity.
I realized that with dedication you have the innate ability to better yourself in any aspect of life, and that the effort you put in to your craft is solely incumbent upon yourself. Additionally, through hands-on activities I could adapt and learn at an accelerated rate.
While attending Amphi Middle School, I received a grant from PRO Neighborhoods to shoot a short film that brought attention to social disparities in underprivileged areas of Tucson. The grant provided funding for a computer and access to camera equipment. I directed, filmed, and edited the video while receiving mentorship. Through this opportunity I became enamored by the creative power computers provide. I grew up writing research papers sourced entirely from Encyclopedia Britannica books, and was now witnessing the advent of Internet search engines. No longer did you have to wonder how something works, instead you could toss that question into a search engine and reach your own conclusion. I was no longer limited by the intellect of those I knew personally; instead I was empowered by my own research.
In hindsight, I credit MySpace for my earliest HTML and CSS tinkering. At that time it was more copy/paste, reload, and see what happens. This led to truly learning HTML so that I could edit websites beyond WYSIWYG. In 2012, I moved to NYC in pursuit of new opportunities, hoping to further enrich myself. Coding bootcamps were in their infancy so I devoted myself to a public relations internship. Throughout the next 4.5 years I helped carve out a web services area of the company — building and updating WordPress websites. I enjoyed breathing life into ideas that were previously thoughts on paper.
In late 2016 I moved to Boston where I continued working in PR. My job was rooted in traditional PR, so for a couple years I didn’t edit a single line of code. Fortunately, this past Summer I learned about Antoine Patton — who taught himself how to code while incarcerated. He has since created and launched an online web development bootcamp. His perseverance resonated, and ultimately inspired me to join the Unlock.Academy bootcamp.
I am excited to be part of the 2020 Hack.Diversity Cohort, bringing continued diversification to the tech industry, while providing a platform for our ideas to be seen on a global scale.
I plan to teach and inspire others to use tech to shape the future they desire by breaking down barriers often faced by minorities. Ultimately, my focus and energy are rooted in the exciting opportunities and adventures that lie ahead through the Fellowship and beyond!
