I chose this program because of my passion for web development and user-focused design. At Flatiron School, I learned the fundamentals of backend development step by step, progressing from procedural Ruby to object-oriented programming, then building applications with Sinatra and eventually developing full-featured APIs using Ruby on Rails.

The experience was especially valuable because, although I already had experience with languages such as PHP, I had never built a complete API from scratch. The curriculum exposed me to practical software engineering concepts and modern development practices that complemented, and in some cases exceeded, what I had previously learned in college.

I also expanded my frontend skills by learning React. Thanks to my JavaScript background, I quickly became proficient with the framework and applied it to real world projects. A foundation I continue to build on with React Native for cross-platform mobile development.

Gaining admission to the program was challenging and required three attempts, but the effort was well worth it. Once accepted, I had an incredibly rewarding academic experience.

During my studies, I learned both procedural and object-oriented programming using C++ and Java, while building a strong foundation in data structures, discrete mathematics, and computer engineering concepts. I gained hands-on experience with hardware programming and designing digital circuits with breadboards and transistors to create logic gates, and working with Verilog for hardware design.

Prior to the program, my experience was primarily web development with little exposure to these languages and concepts. I quickly developed a passion for them, and the deeper understanding of computer science fundamentals made me a stronger, more well-rounded engineer.