FROM PIPE WRENCH TO PULL REQUEST
The Spark
My fascination with programming began back in high school when I took my first Java course. Growing up facing a tough environment, college wasn't an immediate path for me. Right out of high school, I spent two years working at Dunkin' Donuts before transitioning into plumbing. I spent seven years in the trade. While I enjoyed it, I always felt I would just be an okay plumber rather than a great one.
The Turning Point
I found a company I genuinely liked, and everything was running smoothly until I tore my ACL and meniscus. During a difficult recovery that was further prolonged by an injury sustained in physical therapy, I decided to finally dive into the passion I had put on hold. That tinge of regret for never getting to study computer science in college became my motivation. Armed with C# and .NET right from my couch during knee rehab, I taught myself how to code.
The Eight-Month Sprint
Over the next eight months, I immersed myself completely, learning JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and Python. I built a full-stack Flask application and even engineered a system integrating DocuSign and OAuth 2.0 into another Flask app. When I started applying for roles, I received multiple job offers and accepted my position at Breezeline.
The turning point happened right before the job: my technical test required React, GraphQL, and MUI, technologies I had never touched. I taught them to myself overnight and aced the test by morning.
The Breezeline Journey
That began a four-year run marked by rapid growth and execution:
Back-to-Back Promotions:
Based on performance, I earned consecutive promotions in my first two years on the job.
Rapid Impact & Leadership:
Within a single year, I went from learning Git, Bitbucket, React, MUI, and team workflows to actively contributing to applications, refactoring code, and spearheading two major initiatives simultaneously: the outage map and an internal tool.
Modernizing Architecture:
On the job, I learned Vue while taking ownership of the main customer application, then subsequently learned Next.js and TypeScript on the job to help complete rebuild of that core application from the ground up.
Full-Circle Momentum
Last year, I took things a step further and started going to college part-time to pursue my bachelor's degree in computer science. Balancing a full-time software engineering career while maintaining a 4.0 GPA feels completely surreal. Growing up, getting a degree in this field felt like an impossible dream. Looking back now as a developer with four years of professional experience under my belt, realizing that lifelong dream on my own terms has been an incredible journey.
John Charles | Contact Me!