I graduated college with a prestigious award for best programmer and best technological innovation. I thought the hardest part was over. I believed the dream job was just around the corner.

I was wrong.

But before I tell you about my new beginning, I need to tell you about the journey that brought me here—a story that started not in a lecture hall, but on the dusty floor of a car repair shop.

The Foundation: Dreams Deferred and a Promise Made

My story begins in 2014. I was a top 10 honor student in high school, and my family was bursting with pride. But behind that pride was a severe financial crisis. My parents sat me down and told me the words no aspiring student wants to hear: they couldn’t afford to send me to college.

Instead of letting despair win, I made a promise to myself: I would do whatever it took to lift my family out of poverty. No one would ever belittle us again.

A month after graduation, I traveled to Manila with nothing but hope. I quickly learned that without a college degree or experience, most companies wouldn't give me a second glance. So, I took the only job I could find: a helper in a car repair shop. For 150 pesos for an entire 8-hour day, I sanded rusty car parts, prepared materials for painting, and washed cars. I lived in the warehouse, the place where I worked with, to save money, my cardboard bed on the floor my only comfort.

My priority wasn't the pay; it was survival and the dream of one day saving enough for tuition.

The Struggle: Coding on Cardboard and Miracles in the Dark

In 2016, my cousin helped me enroll in a prestigious college. I was a poor student with no laptop and no WiFi. To learn programming, I used pen and paper, writing code by hand and imagining it running on a computer.

I continued working as a car washer to support myself, bearing the loneliness of being away from my family for over five years. The lowest point came when I was struck with a severe sickness—high fever, numbness, complete exhaustion. I was alone on my cardboard bed in the dark warehouse, with no energy to even buy medicine. I didn't tell my family; I didn't want them to worry.

I cried. I felt like giving up. But thinking of my family's suffering gave me a reason to fight. I prayed sincerely for hope and healing.

The next day, I woke up healed. My fever was gone, my body felt light. It was a miracle I still can't explain, a powerful reminder that I was not alone.

The Triumph: Divine Intervention and a Long-Awaited Victory

I balanced work and study, fueled by determination. In my fourth year, I led my team's thesis project to a successful defense. I thought the finish line was in sight.

Then, disaster struck again. My father was in a severe motorcycle accident. The medical bills piled up, and I was left struggling to pay my remaining tuition balance, threatening my chance to graduate.

In desperation, I even considered buying a lottery ticket. It felt hopeless.

Then, a miracle happened. My classmates told me my name was on a list to receive PHP 60,000 in tuition assistance. I still don't know how I was chosen. The relief was overwhelming. I paid my balance, helped my parents buy a pig to start a small livelihood, and even shared the blessing with a classmate in a similar situation.

Finally, I graduated. I walked across that stage, not just with a diploma, but with the recognition for best programmer and technological innovation. It was a victory forged in struggle and faith.

The Turning Point: Why This Path? Why Now?

So, why am I, a recognized programmer, starting from scratch in web development?

Because my story has a next chapter. The job hunt after graduation was not what I expected. The "dream job" I thought my degree guaranteed was elusive. I found myself taking a familiar, survival-oriented path.

But the fire that got me through that dark warehouse never went out. Web development represents a different kind of promise—not just a job, but a craft. It’s the promise of creation over repetition, of building something lasting instead of just getting by. It’s the freedom and problem-solving I always loved about programming, channeled into a concrete, in-demand skill.

The Fear and The Faith

Am I scared? Absolutely. The technical complexity is daunting. The fear of failure, after coming so far, is real.

But I've faced worse. I've fought poverty, sickness, and despair with nothing but pen, paper, and prayer. Learning HTML and CSS can't be harder than that.

This isn't a detour; it's a recalibration. I am using the same resilience, the same determination, and the same faith that brought me this far. I am not abandoning my past; I am building upon it.

This blog will be my honest record of that journey—the struggles, the bugs, the small wins, and the lessons learned. I'm learning in public, from scratch.

This is Chapter 1.

In Chapter 2, I'll share what happened after graduation: my journey through the job hunting wilderness. It was a path full of unexpected turns that ultimately led me here, to this new beginning in code.

Follow, comment, and share if you want to be notified when the next chapter drops. Your support means everything.

This post is part of my series "The Career Change Diaries."