The Long Story (AKA: How did I get here?)
Hi, everyone! My name is Josh, and I recently completed a Master of Science in Software Development (MSSD) at Boston University. My path into programming has been anything but straightforward, and I'm probably not what most people picture when they think of a traditional STEM student. Give me a few minutes of your time, and I'll tell you all about it.
For the first several years of my career, I worked in the trades - mostly residential construction and facilities maintenance, but I've done a little bit of everything in and around a job site. It was honest and honorable work, and I'm proud of those years of my life. But it wasn't exactly my dream. Deep down, I've pretty much always known that I wanted to work in tech.
In 2016, I went back to school, starting with a Bachelor of Multidisciplinary Studies from West Virginia University and graduating with a 4.0 GPA. In my final year, I taught myself Python and built a small portfolio of data analytics projects. They weren't much and far from professional grade, but it was enough to confirm that this was a path I wanted to pursue.
As it turns out, it was also enough for me to be accepted into the University of Pennsylvania's Master of Computer and Information Technology (MCIT) program, a computer science curriculum designed for students without a CS background. It was my first formal exposure to the deeper world of programming and computer science, and despite how foreign and challenging it all seemed, I instantly fell in love.
A few weeks into my first semester, however, my life changed dramatically. Following a series of unexplained fevers, my two-year-old son was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Like a crack of thunder on a sunny day, without warning, CANCER had entered our lives.
We were fortunate (as fortunate as one can be in that situation); ALL is quite treatable and has a very high cure rate. However, while the prognosis was good, the treatment was grueling: nearly three years of chemotherapy, frequent hospital visits, and constant at-home care. This became my full time job, with school being relegated to an on-again-off-again endeavor.
I took two leaves of absence from UPenn during that time, both due to my son being in hospital for extended periods of time. As this was the maximum number of leaves one could take and remain in the MCIT program, it became clear that UPenn no longer fit the reality of our lives. I needed something more flexible, that would allow me to continue growing while still being present for my family. That's when I found Boston University's Master of Science in Software Development program. After much deliberation, numerous late-night talks with my wife, and whole lot of wondering if I should even continue, I made the switch to BU.
Thankfully, it turned out to be exactly what I needed at that moment. With small class sizes, professors both eminently knowledgeable and understanding, and a curriculum that was practical and project-focused, BU fit me perfectly, and I was able to graduate this past May with a nearly miraculous 4.0 GPA.
Today, my son has finished treatment and is a thriving first-grader, full of boundless energy and a mischievous streak wide enough to drive a semi across. His strength and unshakable positivity through an illness that has thus far defined his entire life has been and continues to be my greatest source of inspiration and motivation.
For the last few months, I've been studying statistics and analysis techniques, algorithm problems, and a host of other topics with the aim of getting back to the world of gainful employment. But if I'm being completely honest, what I've really been doing is enjoying the last little bit of time being a stay-at-home dad, because it's hard to let them go.
But it is time to get back to work now, and if I'm a little nervous at the prospect, I'm even more excited. I'm so ready to tackle new projects and challenges, to build things, and to make a meaningful contribution to the world outside my home. The last few years have been nothing that I could have ever predicted, but I've learned so much more than how to build an app or analyze a dataset: resilience and courage, steadfastness, and how to manage emotions as well as time and tasks.