Growing up in the Philippines, I was fortunate to have a family who valued education and could afford to buy me toys. Among those toys, I always found myself drawn to the ones that offered complexity and challenge – Lego, Transformers, and building blocks. Despite their cost, my family would only buy me these sets on special occasions like Christmas or my birthday. Yet, every time I got my hands on a set, I was captivated by the idea of transforming simple pieces into intricate creations like helicopters and cars.
This, without me even realizing it, ignited my passion for engineering.
My love for puzzles extended beyond Legos. Anything that required logical thinking and a bit of brainpower to solve had me hooked. There was a certain satisfaction in untangling a seemingly impossible mess and finding the solution.
Of course, no childhood in the early 2010s was complete without video games. While I loved playing them, my curiosity soon led me down a different path. Browser games were so popular back then, and I discovered the magic of the “inspect element” tool. It sounds fancy, but all I knew was that it let me mess with the on-screen content. Suddenly, I could change the amount of in-game currency (though, sadly, it wouldn’t save!). It was a small act, but it marked my first step into the world of programming. It wasn’t until my early high school years that I truly dove into coding. A friend introduced me to HTML, and I immediately took to it. I spent hours at home experimenting with HTML, captivated by the process of bringing web pages to life.
Despite my growing passion for technology and coding, there were challenges along the way. My family, like many others in the Philippines, held doubts about the job prospects in the field of information technology (IT) or computer science. There was a prevailing belief that graduates in these fields would struggle to find employment, leading to a fate often referred to as “tambay” or being jobless. Despite these doubts, I remained steadfast in my pursuit of a career in technology, driven by my belief in its potential to change lives and make a positive impact on the world.
Fast forward to today, and I’m on the brink of earning my degree in computer science (Or might have gotten it already if you are reading this after September 2024). Despite being a late bloomer, I’ve achieved more than I ever thought possible. With the potential to graduate with latin honors, I have also received a slew of awards for my programming skills and research, and was able to connect with different people all over the world. I am a living testament that can prove that hard work pays off.
As I look to the future, I have some questions for my future self. Which path did you choose – data engineering or full-stack engineering? And what are you doing now? I trust that you’ve made the right decision and are thriving in your chosen field.
In the meantime, I’ll continue to give it my all, knowing that the best is yet to come. From toy blocks to code blocks, my journey into tech has been nothing short of remarkable, and I can’t wait to see where it takes me next.
Aivan Carlos Tuquero⭐
