Hi! I'm Steven! A former customer service professional with over 6 years of supervisory experience in various customer service roles. In these roles, I was committed to providing the highest quality customer service, and sought to maintain a strong team through excellent communication. My time in customer service taught me many of my core values, including an emphasis on interpersonal and intrapersonal communication.
I carried these values into my previous role with nearly 3 years as an operator at an Autonomous Vehicle Start-up. Here, my work was all about Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), report writing, and even I spent a good amount of time studying Project Management Principles before deciding that the practice just wasn't for me. My time in the industry never felt secure, and I felt like I needed to make a big change.
More recently, I started my journey into becoming a Full-stack Software Developer. I have always found myself enamoured with the practice, and tech in general, so I'm thankful for the opportunity to turn my focus into this field. With the help of my instructor Mark Carlson and the Coding Bootcamp provided by edX through the UC Berkeley Extension, I am able to create webpages... like the one you're on right now!
11 APRIL 2024
It seems like my life happens in three year segments. Six years ago, I left my comfort zone of San Diego (my home town) to find my independence. I spent nearly half of those years slaving over a MastrenaThe Thermoplan Mastrena II is the espresso machine used at Starbucks stores. at Starbucks, trying my hardest to work my way into management. All I knew was the service industry, and my dreams of becoming a cafe owner and operator were the forefront. I also chased a relationship on my way to the San Francisco Bay Area, and although that didn't last, I'd say I figured out how to live on my own. Three years after that, I left the comfort of corporate coffee to start a career in tech. I tried to bridge my way into QA/QC""...quality assurance (is) the process or set of processes used to measure and assure the quality of a product, and quality control, the process of ensuring products and services meet consumer expectations."[1] work, and even Project Management, but those efforts were for naught. Lots of crazy things happened since moving to the Bay Area; from new friendships, to lost loved ones; to a global pandemic, and finding a new dream to persue; I'm forever grateful for all of my life experiences.
Finding my way down the path of Software Development wasn't easy. I thought I knew where my life was headed and switched directions twice since leaving home. While I was pursuing a career in Project Management, I lost my Dad, and lost all motivation to continue my studies. The months dragged on and I eventually found myself quitting my job in January to take a much needed break. Thankfully my dad worked hard to make sure that myself and my brother would be taken care of in case he should pass, and with the money I got from his life insurance policy, I decided to take on a this new challenge. I'd like to say that I'm enjoying coding so far. We've only just started learning JavaScript but I already can't wait to be building websites on my own. It's funny to think this might be where I should've been all along... but only time will tell if that's true!
Who knows where coding will take me? At the end of this boot camp, I'll be at the end of my lease with my housemates. I recently bought a home with my mother and will be moving in in October of this year. I've been a little sad about leaving my independence behind in favor of being at home with my family again, but I know this change is for the better. Hopefully the transition will be smooth, and finding a job won't be too difficult. If anything, my excitement outweighs my negative feelings now. I have lots of great friends out here in the Bay Area, but it will be nice to be back home after six long years away. Here's to a successful boot camp, a smooth transition, and an easy job hunt at the end of it all!
