[sethammons]

I was "in to computers." I liked looking through files, new software, and drawing in ms paint. As I started at university, my buddy said, "you should take a programming class." I took CS101 in C++. I got an easy 4.0 and he hired me at his start up doing PHP. That was the start. Then I went into insurance, financial advisement, and teaching math in highschool. All the while, tinkering and toying with programming and some odd jobs (all the while raising a family that we started a bit early by conceiving at age 15). After failing at insurance, failing at financial advisement, and failing as a teacher (which all hurt), my side projects caught the eye of a recruiter, and I interviewed at a few places. I ended up with a great software company where I have grown tremendously and am now (years later) a principal engineer. I love what I do and I think I am pretty decent at it :). What does this mean for your kiddos? Find something they like on computers and link that to a programming problem. Helo them learn that a computer is a tool and a tool they can alter and control to do what they need done. There is no magic there.