As they called my name at the graduation ceremony at my now Alma Mater, Full Sail University, so many things were running through my mind. It’s hard to keep track of it all as it all happened in an instant, but the most prominent thought in my brain was “don’t trip.”
When it was all over, I returned to my seat (without tripping) watching other graduates walking up to get their diplomas, and I was so relieved to finally achieve my Bachelor’s degree. A little over 3 years of going through school full-time while working over 50 hours some weeks, while volunteering at my favorite nonprofit (Chakota Therapeutic Riding Center – working with the children and maintaining the website), and while freelancing for clients on the side can seem like an eternity some days. Now that I look back, however, I’m glad I was able to take on these tasks and come out unscathed.
Doing this all while taking an accelerated Web Design and Development program, I was able to prove to my peers, to my friends and family, to my potential clients or future employers, and most importantly – to myself, what I’m capable of accomplishing. I can take on a pile of responsibilities assiduously and I can succeed with my immense self-discipline, attention to detail, and composure. That’s enough of patting myself on the back for one day.
Now two weeks after graduation day, I look back at the past few years and it didn’t seem long at all. In fact, I am kind of grateful for the times I was up until 6 am finishing my C# programming assignments. The nights I could only see lines of code in my sleep when I couldn’t figure out an issue with my PHP project. The times I zoned out at my job trying to improve my Node back-end server application. These are the strenuous experiences I had, some of which made me question my decision in this field, but these also shaped me into the Developer that I am today. These experiences are also hopefully the foundation upon which I can build a lucrative and flourishing career in Web Development. Looking forward, I am ready for the next chapter in my career, and I hope you are all ready for me as well.