When I was 18, I made one of the biggest decisions of my life: I left my hometown and moved to the capital city to study Computer Science. I didn’t have a clear roadmap, nor did I have anyone in my family to guide me through the world of technology. No one I knew had pursued this field, and I had no mentor to turn to – at least not at the beginning. It was just me, a suitcase full of doubts, and a quiet determination to make something of myself.

At the time, I didn’t even have many friends in the city. That loneliness was real – walking into lecture halls filled with strangers, going home to a small apartment that echoed with silence, and having no one to ask the simple things: “How do I register for this class?” or “What programming language should I focus on first?” It felt like I was navigating a maze blindfolded.

But somewhere deep down, I knew that this was what I wanted. I had always been curious about how things work – how apps are made, how websites come to life, how data travels. Even though I wasn’t raised in an environment that nurtured that curiosity in a technical way, I decided I would create that space for myself.

So I studied. Hard. I spent long nights in front of a glowing screen, not because I had to, but because I wanted to understand. I wanted to build. I wanted to be good at this.

Less than two years into my studies, I made another bold choice: I started working. I wanted to earn my own money, to be independent, to stand on my own two feet. Balancing a job and a full-time degree wasn’t easy. There were weeks where I barely slept, commuting between work and university, grabbing meals on the go, and trying to find an hour of quiet to study. I won’t lie – it was exhausting. There were moments I thought I wouldn’t make it, moments where I felt like I was falling behind everyone else.

But through all of this, I had one constant source of strength: my family. My parents never once questioned my decision, even though it meant I was far away from them, even though they didn’t fully understand what I was studying. They supported me emotionally, financially, and most importantly – unconditionally. Their support became my foundation. It gave me the strength to push through every sleepless night, every difficult exam, and every work deadline.

And I was also incredibly lucky to cross paths with a great mentor. Someone who saw potential in me, who didn’t just teach me how to code or solve technical problems, but how to think, how to listen, how to lead. This mentor shaped so much of who I am today – not just as a programmer, but as a person.

.

There were definitely moments of self-doubt, times when I wondered if I made the right choice. I had stereotypes in my head – that computer science was only for people who grew up surrounded by tech, or that you had to be some kind of genius to succeed. I’ve since learned those ideas are wrong. What matters most is persistence. Willingness to learn. The courage to try again, even when you fail.

Today, I’m still learning. Still growing. But I’ve already become someone I once only dreamed of being: a programmer with purpose and passion. And if there’s one thing I hope others take from my story, it’s this – you don’t need to have it all figured out. You don’t need a perfect plan. You just need the courage to start, the patience to learn, and the belief that you belong, even if no one else around you looks like they do.

Your path might be lonely at times, but that doesn’t mean it’s the wrong one. Sometimes, the most beautiful stories start exactly like mine did – with uncertainty, a bit of fear, and a quiet voice inside saying, “Go.”