Get to know Me
Here's the story About Myself
My names Ricardo Alejandro Martinez and this is how I came to be.
At the age of 20 both my parents immigrated from Mexico to California with the idea instilled in their mind of a future. They knew not what it would be of, but they understood this was the correct pathway. Growing up as a first generation hispanic you're daunted with this incumbent to be self-guided in this journey called life. My parents worked day and night to allow my 3 siblings and I a fighting chance for what the future held. We saw their blood, sweat, and tears. We acknowledge to eachother that their sacrifice would not be in vein. Being bilingual growing up forced us to take on tasks my parents didn't understand. This would include paying bills, handling insurance claims, and finding resource for whatever may arise. This matured us enough to comprehend that an education was such a valuable characteristic to carry. This then motivated us to pursue one.
August 6th, 2015 I am faced with the most difficult situation of my young naive life. I suffer a Traumatic Brain Injury and succumb to a weeklong coma accompanied by several broken bones. A month of memory loss and seven months of bed rest I reflect upon my life and how short it is. Realizing the way to have the most impactful and fulfilling life on this earth I regain my full my motor skills and enroll in a 16 unit semester at Santa Ana Community College.
Working two jobs as a server at Naples Ristorante e Bar and a bartender at Olive Garden I was able to complete my Associates degree and transfer out to Cal State University Fullerton. I now stand a few semesters away from earning my B.S. in Computer Science entirely debt free and paid out of my pocket. I've always imagined everyone had a similar journey as I did , but I was wrong. Reflecting now as a First Generation Latinx I see the impact I have on my younger relatives and members of my community. I now stand as a beacon of hope and resilience for what can be achieved even with all the statistics pointed against me. My journey in the dev world has only begun.
