Art to Code: My Journey
08 Sep 2024
As a child, I dreamed of becoming an artist. In my teenage years, I researched art schools and honed my skills. By the time I enrolled in community college, my dream was slowly coming true. Now, as a university student, my art supplies are packed away in my closet, and I’m pursuing a degree in computer science.
How did things change so drastically? And, perhaps, for the better?
The Beginning
I never planned to major in computer science. During the pandemic, I was told to quit art for computer science, with the argument that my “brain was better suited” for it and that an art degree would be “a waste of four years of my life.” Those words were said to me at a vulnerable point in my life, and I took those words to heart. In fall of 2022, I took my first computer science class at Leeward Community College: an asynchronous intro to Java course. Without having my classmates or instructor there, I ventured into the new, scary world of coding alone.
Before that, I had never written a line of code, though I had always been intrigued by the idea. I’d played a few “hacker” games in the past and even tried teaching myself Python as a teenager, but I had never imagined that interest turning into something bigger. That Java class was one of the most enjoyable experiences I’d ever had in school. As an artist, I loved the freedom to create anything I imagined, and I realized that coding offered a similar creative outlet.
The Shift
In many ways, I still consider myself an artist—just one who now creates with code instead of pencils and brushes. After that first Java course, my instructor reached out to me and asked if I’d like to tutor the class in the following semester. I accepted, and that’s when my passion for programming really began to grow.
From there, I dove into Data Structures and Algorithms, Python, and C/C++. Every class was a challenge that I relished, and I started building personal projects with the skills I learned. After each course, I began tutoring it, which only deepened my understanding of the material. Tutoring has forced me to simplify complex concepts in order to explain them to others, which ensures that I truly understand them myself.
One of the most rewarding aspects of tutoring is the relationships I get to build with students. Many come to me weekly, or biweekly, and through these sessions, we not only tackle coding problems but also build friendly rapport. I go into each session hoping that my enthusiasm and passion for programming help ignite their own passions.
In fall of 2024, I transferred to the University of Hawaii at Manoa to pursue my bachelor’s degree in computer science. Things are getting real now.
The “To Be Continued”
When I share my story, people often feel angry on my behalf—how a few words shifted me away from my dream of being an artist. It’s a complex feeling. I sometimes mourn these dreams, yet I’m also grateful. If not for that push, would I have discovered my passion for computer science? Would I still be chasing my art dreams, possibly with less fulfillment than I had imagined? Would I have made the amount of connections that I have, or have had half the opportunities?
Looking ahead, I cannot see myself pursuing anything other than computer science, but I’m still unsure of what field of computer science to pursue after graduating. Some of my students suggest I become a computer science teacher due to my ability to simplify difficult concepts, and maybe that’s an option later down the line, but for now, I want to explore the various fields and niches within computer science. With two years left in college, I want to keep learning as much as I can.
Computer science entered my life like a whirlwind, hitting me like a ton of bricks. While my future career path in computer science remains blurry and open, I’m ready to let this blurriness sharpen into focus over time.