Nestor Mendoza
CareerBuilder
Atlanta, GA USA
"Anytime you’re struggling with something in life, you’ve got to remember the moments when you were doing great. Use them like a cookie from a cookie jar to feed and motivate yourself."
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Nestor's work combines: Technology, Engineering, and Problem Solving
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
I've noticed that a college degree is held as such a high priority in the U.S. but it costs so much money to get one. In my home country, the best universities are free. Personally, I've never seen that piece of paper as having more value than the knowledge and experience, which you can still find through many other routes. I believe society in general needs to change its views about non-traditional educational routes because they can be just as valuable.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Certification
Per Scholas
Certification
Web Development Immersive
General Assembly
Life & Career Milestones
I've taken a lot of twists and turns
1.
I grew up in Venezuela—my dad left when I was very young, so my mom was the primary financial supporter for our family.
2.
After high school, I was accepted into Universidad Simón Bolívar to study chemistry.
3.
I dropped out of school to pursue my dream of moving to a different country, but my plans were put on hold when government policy reduced the value of my income.
4.
I tried a few different business ventures to change my financial situation—they didn’t end up working out financially, but I learned a lot.
5.
In 2015, my family helped me get my visa and pay for my ticket to the U.S.—seeing what a more developed country looked like compared to the crime around my hometown really motivated me to move.
6.
While applying to web developer jobs, I found an ad for Per Scholas and ended up getting accepted into a web development partnership program between Per Scholas and General Assembly.
7.
Before I even finished the program, a friend of mine got me an interview for a software engineer position with CareerBuilder—it went very well and I was able to start right away when I graduated.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Society in general:
You need to go to a traditional college and get a degree in order to be set in life.
How I responded:
I've noticed that a college degree is held as such a high priority in the U.S. but it costs so much money to get one. In my home country, the best universities are free. Personally, I've never seen that piece of paper as having more value than the knowledge and experience, which you can still find through many other routes. I believe society in general needs to change its views about non-traditional educational routes because they can be just as valuable.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I would hear about and witness a lot of crime around my hometown in Venezuela. It was one of the biggest motivators behind my desire to move to the U.S.
Since moving to the U.S. and working in web development, I've struggled with imposter syndrome. It's something that I have to work hard at overcoming.