Full Stack Engineer in the Making

As a senior adult, deciding to make a career change at first seems daunting. Adding one small criterium solves that problem very simply: choose something I want to learn whether I get hired in that capacity or not.  Being a software engineer has persisted as an interest throughout my entire career in technology.  So, let's stop putting it off by adding it to my bucket list. Voila! the new bucket list looks a little like this:

• See the aurora borealis
• Become a software engineer
• Learn sign language

This decision is an expensive one in regards to cash and time. Fortunately, the digital era has adopted and adapted to online learning. Ergo, I'm not limited to programs offered within a commutable distance.  The options for software languages turn out to be overwhelming. I need help finding a starting point, so, I rely on my tried and true idiom "people are my apps." By reaching out to colleagues that have successfully "retooled" their skill sets, I learn about immersive courses, specifically those offered by General Assembly (GA), and decide to go that route. 

The on-boarding staff at GA are incredibly accessible. They help me get a scholarship and provide counseling to help me prepare to immerse. It's important to note here that "immerse" is not hyperbole. This program is my life right now.

The weeks are passing by so quickly and I struggle to keep up. But ,somehow it is happening and two applications that I designed and built are out in the world now. The first, Surfer Trivia, uses the classic HTML/CSS/Javascript with DOM manipulation combo and is deployed on GitHub. The second, Let's Eat!, is a REACT with hooks application using API calls to fetch data and is deployed on Heroku.
Surfer Trivia
Let's Cook!

Eight weeks ago I could not have built these at all. The learning continues, and I am discovering how I can make them better. 
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With five weeks remaining, and server-side lessons and labs getting behind me, confidence and excitement are growing. I find myself designing apps I want to build as soon as the program ends. Classmates from all over the country are becoming friends and my network is growing. But, I find myself still questioning my employ-ability. I rely on my experience as a senior adult to adjust my "thinking." Getting a job will not make me a software engineer. Having the skills is the qualifier, and I'm over half-way there.