· 5 min read

How I Started Coding and Why It Means So Much to Me

Introduction

When I started coding back in 2018, I had no idea how much it would mean to me or how personal it would feel. Growing up in Jamaica, Queens, my family didn’t have a lot. We lived in an attic for the first 13 years of my life, but my dad always made sure we had what we needed. He ran a small business, working crazy hours to provide for us. Even though we didn’t get to spend a ton of time together on weekdays, he always showed up when it mattered most.

Why I Started Coding

When I first started learning to code, it wasn’t just about building cool apps or trying out new tech. It was about giving back to my parents, especially my dad. His business has been running for over 30 years, and I wanted to do something to make his life a little easier. So, I started creating custom software including scripts which automated tedious data entry tasks to help him with his work. Not only did it make things run smoother for him, but it also brought us closer in a way I didn’t expect. Watching him use something I built felt amazing.

A Shift in Mindset

That feeling of making a difference reinforced a mindset shift I later embraced. Recently, I had a conversation with someone I look up to, and they said something that really hit me: “I get to” instead of “I have to.” It’s such a simple shift, but it changes everything. Now, when I’m facing a tough challenge at work or struggling with a bug, I try to remind myself how lucky I am to do what I do. It’s not always easy, but it makes even the frustrating moments feel worth it.

What I’m Learning Now

One of the best parts of my career so far was working with a mentor who pushed me to be better. They’d review my code, point out where I could improve, and challenge me to think differently. Since they've left the company, I’ve felt a little stuck, like I’m not growing as much. I’m trying to find a new mentor, but in the meantime, tools like AI have been helpful for exploring new concepts.

I’ve also realized how important it is to step away sometimes. I used to keep working on a problem until I was totally burnt out. Now, I’m learning to take breaks, clear my head, and come back fresh. It’s such a simple thing, but it’s made a huge difference in how I work.

Conclusion

Looking back, this journey has been about more than just coding. It’s about where I came from, the people who supported me, and the lessons I’ve picked up along the way. I’m still figuring things out, but I’m grateful for how far I’ve come. And I can’t wait to see where this path takes me next, hopefully using these skills to build more helpful tools and maybe mentor others as I've been mentored.

FAQ

Questions I get a lot.

Why go back for a CS degree if you were already at $170k?

Because the work had already outrun the paperwork, and I was tired of that gap. I’d walked away from two schools already — Baruch didn’t even offer a CS degree, and by BMCC I was already writing production code, so sitting through intro classes for a piece of paper felt backwards. I enrolled at WGU in 2024, kept the full-time engineering job, and finished the B.S. in August 2026. Third school. First degree, eight years later than the “normal” path. I wanted the foundation, and I wanted to close a loop I’d left open twice.

How did you get hired without a degree?

I showed work. The first scripts were for my dad’s business in 2017, automating the data entry that was eating his week. Columbia’s coding bootcamp gave me three months of full-stack JavaScript and a cohort in 2019 — a program that doesn’t even exist anymore. PLNETWORKS hired me in 2020 on a portfolio, not a diploma. After that, each role was about what I’d already shipped: production bugs, HIPAA software, storefronts. The degree came eight years later. It didn’t open the first door.

What actually moved compensation from $75k to $170k?

Two years of shipping at PLNETWORKS, then a move to Cazton that roughly doubled it, then BrightInsight in 2022 — HIPAA-regulated software at $170k. Same skills, different rooms. The market paid for proof. I treated interviews like case studies of work I’d already done, not like a plea for a first chance.

Where are you from, and where are you now?

I was raised in Jamaica, Queens. First thirteen years in an attic. I live in Hell’s Kitchen now. The city didn’t get bigger. I just moved west of the same story.

How do you actually use Cursor and Claude?

As a tutor and a pair, not as a ghostwriter. I still read the diff. I still throw away the parts that look clever and aren’t. The tools make the boring parts faster so I can spend the hours on the decisions that have to be mine.

What would you tell someone learning to code right now?

Build something your family can use. Put it in public. Don’t wait for a school to bless the start. I dropped out twice, then finished. Both of those were the right call at the time.