I had planned to write about my first ever hack-a-thon last weekend, but decided to give a quick shout out to Grace Hopper on the 107th anniversary of her birth today.
Little did I know almost(gulp a quarter of a century ago), the impact she would have on my life.
I took a beginning COBOL class at the Community College of Aurora in 1990. I lucked into an entry-level programmer job at American Express as I was fortunate enough to have a shift supervisor who recommended me to the Application development manager. Much to my delight, I was offered a position on this team. It was a dream come true for me. I couldn’t believe I was getting paid to do something I loved.
There was a time in my life where I couldn’t wait for Monday’s to come so I could go to work.
I worked for the same company for over 20 years. In 1993 the division that I worked for was sold to First Data Corporation. 13 years later, my department was absorbed into Western Union.
I was lucky to be able to form close relationships with my development teams as I moved from an entry level programmer to a team lead and eventually moved into a management role.
I raised my family and my wife and I were able to provide a college education for our children and many opportunities to travel and create wonderful family memories.
In 2010, the company that I worked at for 20+ years made the decision to eliminate our jobs and send the work overseas.
I find myself now looking to get back into programming. I am attending a web immersion bootcamp at MakerSquare in Austin, Texas.
Thanks Grace, for the blessings you have brought to my life.
