I am Felipe Castillo, an IT Support Specialist from Dallas, TX. I started my journey in tech during high school by enrolling in college courses for computer science. Although life had a different plan for me early on, I still maintained a passion for tech throughout my life by reading about new developments, learning different hardware, and integrating tech into my personal life. Right out of high school, I jumped into blue-collar work, often being the youngest person doing "grown man labor". Still, I had to learn to be faster and better than anyone in everything that got my hands dirty and I eventually earned my way into operations management. It showed me that I was hardworking, dedicated, and a team player. I was always the go-to guy in any situation. Then, I decided to join Per Scholas to finally finish the one thing I couldn't do in the beginning. To enhance what I already know and to learn more about what I don’t and to demonstrate that my work ethic in a different field will seamlessly transition into the field I'm passionate about. Getting my foot through the door is just the start of my career. My long-term goal is to expand my knowledge of software development. To create something used to help people or to ease a currently complicated task. This opportunity I have is not just a career change, it's personal. It's to provide a better life for my family, to have a healthier work/life balance, and to reestablish my belief that hard work and dedication are rewarding to those who truly apply it.