“I’d rather regret the risks that didn’t work out than the chances I didn’t take at all.” — Simone Biles
IS A PLAN REALLY NECESSARY?
I don’t think I’ve ever had a concrete plan for the direction I want my life to take, but I always seem to end up in the greatest position to do something awesome. I began my college career with the idea that I’d be an architect since drawing has always been one of my favorite hobbies. I attended a community college after high school and majored in Computer Aided Drafting and Design with the intention of transferring to a university and majoring in Architecture. My instructor was an Architect with his own firm and he hired me to work for him after graduation. I can remember turning in my first manual drawing like it happened yesterday. All students were required to use manual drafting tools to create a series of engineering drawings of various gears. A few days before my drawings were due, I noticed that I had been pressing so hard with my compass that I made several holes in the paper. I knew that I didn’t have time to start over, so I continued. With only a day or two left to work on my drawings I accidentally spilled graphite pencil shavings on my drawing which stained it. I erased it as best as I could and continued. The day the assignment was due my instructor asked all students to use four drafting dots to stick the drawings on the wall for critique. I was embarrassed because my drawing had holes in it from the compass and was a shade darker than everyone else’s because of the shavings. I dreaded the moment my professor approached my drawing, but he looked at me and said I’d earned an A. I couldn’t believe it because I was certain I had failed. He then explained that he admired my persistence because I could have easily given up or attempted to start over after I noticed the holes and the stains, but I didn’t. He also said he had never seen a more perfect manual drawing before. I learned a lot about myself that day and that’s one thing that still remains a driving force in my life; persistence. I worked with my professor for several years on various projects before deciding to pursue a bachelor’s degree. I later attended the University of Alabama at Birmingham, changed my major to Graphic Design, and began doing freelance design work. During my undergraduate studies I attended the University of Montevallo for one semester as a transient student and met a professor who has since become a really close friend of mine. After observing her, I decided that it might be cool to teach Graphic Design, so I returned to the University of Montevallo for grad school. I earned a master’s in Education and taught K-8 Art Studio and Graphic Design for 2 and a half years. I worked as assistant to the superintendent for 2 years as well. In 2016 I started a DTG printing business that still allows me to utilize my design skills and creativity. After accepting the position I currently hold as Assignment Coordinator at the University of Montevallo, I discovered that the university offers free tuition for employees. By now you should be able to tell that whenever I see an opportunity, I take advantage of it. I began researching the degree programs and applied for the Instructional Technology program. I recently completed the program, receiving my Ed.S in May of 2022. During the pandemic a friend of mine reached out to tell me about an organization called Birmingham Black Techies and encouraged me to join. Through BBT I learned about Flatiron School and the NCWIT scholarship that I quickly applied for. My plan is to utilize the non-profit I founded in 2020 to offer free coding classes for students K-12 which will serve as the foundation for a technology school. I also plan to provide resources for existing schools in underprivileged communities. I believe that students should learn coding and how to properly utilize technology as early as possible, especially in such a tech-rich society. In addition to my other undertakings, I now teach senior citizens to use technology at a local library. My journey has involved a lot of twists, turns, and detours, but I can’t wait to see what the future holds for me. I hope to continue to use every opportunity afforded to me to do something that I can be proud of.
