I would like to dedicate this first post of the "Spittin' Bits" blog to everybody that represents my hometown, the City of Compton. As an African American growing up in the 90’s in a place like Compton, where hope was at a deficit and gang violence a primary export, there weren't many success stories around for guys like me. It is my hope that I can give a voice to the bright and brilliant youth in every ghetto, hood, project, and barrio. The world will know that, in spite of all difficulties, we are here and are ready to usher in a new generation of success and accomplishment.
The story of my life preceding my success is not unique. Many of the youth that either grew up or are now growing up in impoverished neighborhoods like mine have been abused, bullied, abandoned, and sexually molested. They faced the threats posed by gangs and drugs on a daily basis just like I did. I had friends that succumbed to gang life. Even lost a couple who were killed blocks away from where I lived on Mayo St. Guys like me had the makings of a life that would lead, in many cases, to death or imprisonment. Worst of all, even working hard in school didn’t guarantee that I wouldn’t catch a stray bullet or end up in the wrong place at the wrong time. That was just the reality of growing up in Compton.
Fortunately for me, I ended up being adopted into the home of a loving couple who I came to know as my true mother and father. They fought hard everyday to ensure that I received the best education that Compton could offer. As a family we couldn’t afford much, and half way through my childhood, my father was laid-off from his job a year before his retirement was due. That didn’t stop them from ensuring that I had everything that I need to be successful later in my life. They instilled within me very high expectations which included attending and graduating from a four-year university and obtaining a respectable career. Without them, I would not have cultivated a love for technology and engineering.
Today, I am a Senior Software Engineer for Junction Solutions and a graduate of the University of California, Irvine. I've benefited from a career of over 6 years of industry experience, during which time I have been credited as co-inventor of a patent-pending method for processing bank transactions (US 2009/0037332 A1) while working as a programmer at City National Bank. I am also an INROADS alumnus and former Intern of the Year recipient in 2005.
I may have grown up in the hood, but that’s not what defines who I am. I believe that my work and my accomplishments will send a message to the world, however small, that investing in the young men and women of America’s most down and out communities does pay off. There are so many talented young men and women like me who can positively impact the world, but they can’t do it alone. That’s why I’m sharing my story with the hope that someone else may be inspired to invest in the education and development of minorities in business and technology.
Yeah, I used to live in the ghetto. Now I’m on GitHub. And as my dear, late grandmother once said, “may the work I’ve done speak for me”.
The story of my life preceding my success is not unique. Many of the youth that either grew up or are now growing up in impoverished neighborhoods like mine have been abused, bullied, abandoned, and sexually molested. They faced the threats posed by gangs and drugs on a daily basis just like I did. I had friends that succumbed to gang life. Even lost a couple who were killed blocks away from where I lived on Mayo St. Guys like me had the makings of a life that would lead, in many cases, to death or imprisonment. Worst of all, even working hard in school didn’t guarantee that I wouldn’t catch a stray bullet or end up in the wrong place at the wrong time. That was just the reality of growing up in Compton.
Fortunately for me, I ended up being adopted into the home of a loving couple who I came to know as my true mother and father. They fought hard everyday to ensure that I received the best education that Compton could offer. As a family we couldn’t afford much, and half way through my childhood, my father was laid-off from his job a year before his retirement was due. That didn’t stop them from ensuring that I had everything that I need to be successful later in my life. They instilled within me very high expectations which included attending and graduating from a four-year university and obtaining a respectable career. Without them, I would not have cultivated a love for technology and engineering.
Today, I am a Senior Software Engineer for Junction Solutions and a graduate of the University of California, Irvine. I've benefited from a career of over 6 years of industry experience, during which time I have been credited as co-inventor of a patent-pending method for processing bank transactions (US 2009/0037332 A1) while working as a programmer at City National Bank. I am also an INROADS alumnus and former Intern of the Year recipient in 2005.
I may have grown up in the hood, but that’s not what defines who I am. I believe that my work and my accomplishments will send a message to the world, however small, that investing in the young men and women of America’s most down and out communities does pay off. There are so many talented young men and women like me who can positively impact the world, but they can’t do it alone. That’s why I’m sharing my story with the hope that someone else may be inspired to invest in the education and development of minorities in business and technology.
Yeah, I used to live in the ghetto. Now I’m on GitHub. And as my dear, late grandmother once said, “may the work I’ve done speak for me”.
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