[perfmode]

Yes. I didn’t know programming was a career I could pursue. I did know I could become a basketball player, though.

I know that my existence continues to influence my younger siblings, and the children of family-friends. I’m known as “the one who worked at google”. Without me as an example, tech wouldn’t be in the perceptual sphere of attainability within much of my family and community.

[googlryas]

How did you become a programmer, and not a basketball player?

Obviously people in the lives of children impact them. Does seeing, possibly, a black engineer on TV count as being in the life of a child?

[perfmode]

I grew up in poverty, dropped out of high school in the 10th grade, and gave up on life. Then, floundered until I turned 21. Decided to try to turn my life around.Was encouraged by a significant other to try school again. Got a GED. Enrolled in a state school. Discovered I am actually not bad at college math. Realized that computer science is at the intersection of computers and math, and that I might be able to succeed at it. Aced every class and applied to the top 10 schools in the country. Was accepted and transferred to Stanford. Then, took advantage of every opportunity to get involved in the software engineering profession.

It was an uphill battle the entire way. Should we be looking to my life-path as a scalable way out of poverty?

> Obviously people in the lives of children impact them. Does seeing, possibly, a black engineer on TV count as being in the life of a child?

Yes, definitely. TV is realer than real-life for most people. It's the average person's lens into the world, for better or worse.