Throughout my life I have always had a strong inclination towards math, numbers, and patterns. There is just something so mystical about the perfection of mathematics: how all of the pieces seem to fit together as if by magic, or some cosmic force that we can just barely begin to perceive. I find profound pleasure in sifting through what would appear to most as either static or chaos in numbers, and finding order and reason.Naturally, I gravitated towards computers and programming as my mind, age, and experience grew with time. I started small with basic HTML ‘billboard’ websites, but quickly grew into JavaScript, ASP, and OO as I started incorporating Flash into my interactive websites, and exploring deeper into my mentor’s library. By the time I was 18, I was the head of the Search Engine Optimization department at Hill Country Web; while also maintaining and updating the Linux machine for the ISP branch of the company as we expanded to cover the hill country near Spicewood, TX.Circumstances changed in my life, and I ended up doing side quests in the service industry for 10+ years before returning to my computer to start writing code again. During this time, I learned an incredibly wide array of social skills that I will cherish for the rest of my life. I now know the importance of being able to communicate an idea to another person in a way that they will understand. I have learned empathy, compassion, and understanding for the other humans around me. I believe that this is relevant in the data field, as I will need to be able to communicate my findings in a way that can be received and understood by those who do not work at a computer or know very little about statistics. Communication skills may not be a cornerstone of data analytics; but I believe that it will be a potent strength of mine when it comes to discussing my findings.I have started expanding my own technical library, just as my mentor did long ago. I have books on Statistics, R, SQL, Machine Learning, as well as a slew of Python books; some that I haven’t even worked through yet! A wise man once told me, “A closed mine will never grow, so never stop learning.” I recently completed a bootcamp course at UT for Data Analysis and Visualization with a 97%, and am eager to enter the professional world of data. It is hard to contain my anticipation in joining an industry that so closely aligns with my own personality and talents, and I cannot wait to see myself blossom in such a beautiful professional field.