The first week of the Grow with Google Udacity scholarship

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When I opened up my email from Udacity on January 10th, I really didn’t know what to expect. I had filled out an application for the program in mid-November, on the fence about which track to apply for: [beginner or intermediate]. Knowing a bit of JS and being comfortable with HTML and CSS, I decided to go for the intermediate track.

As you may have deduced from the title of this post, I was elated to find that I had been accepted into the program. This week I wrote a letter of resignation for my night job at a specialty cocktail bar in town. Since I spend my days as Wholesale Director at a local coffee company, those night hours are to be for precious study time. I also spent some time brushing up on my understanding of JS over at [MDN], and setting up my home office.

I have now begun the 3 month challenge course to strive for a spot in the next round of scholarships, and this first week has been challenging, which is a good thing. Although being a Wholesale Director at a coffee company M-F has been great, it hasn’t given me day to day experience with JS. To amplify the challenge, I also just had my first baby in November. Nevertheless, the time has come for me to move into a more flexible field with more opportunities to work remotely.

It may go without saying that I will likely have to strain a bit more than the average intermediate student in the program, but I am confident that I can do it.

This first week has made me remember why I applied for the scholarship in the first place. To grow myself and my toolkit so that I can more reliably provide for and spend time with my family.

The [Grow with Google] program has presented a great opportunity for me to move forward as a father, a husband and as a person.

I am grateful for the chance I’ve been given to shine, and thankful to those in the program who have already helped me. Thank you Udacity for designing the program and taking a chance on me!