Before today I was trained as an environmental and social scientist. Knowledge of the complex issues that are ongoing around us and around the world is helpful, but without so much as a hint of an ability to actually try to solve these problems has made me increasingly uneasy.

I didn’t and still don’t want to write papers or be an activist in the pure sense. Those are important functions of society, yes, but they’re not for me. I sense that I am better able to contribute to the overall cause of reducing environmental degradation and social problems (sometimes intertwined) by introducing products to people.

I know it sounds counterintuitive, maybe even contradictory, but I believe that if the company making the products we buy and use everyday incorporate environmentally and socially sound principles into their operations, we would be much better off. At this point, it’s just a theory. It is a deep topic that I’ll leave for another post.

Today I’m formally embarking on a new path. Don’t worry, I’ve left markers along the way and will be able to backtrack and remember what I’ve learned before. (No, they weren’t just breadcrumbs.) Today is my first day at General Assembly Singapore as a programming student in their Web Development Immersive course. My foray into the digital jungle.

For the past three months I’ve been tinkering with hardware and software, learning by doing exercises and one or two actual projects (like a home security camera). It’s been interesting to notice myself being so driven to learn something. Programming is a fascinating job, topic and skill that I could go on at length about nowadays. Yet, this is just the beginning for me.

Today I formally step into the digital realm, and while I’ll peer back, I’m not going back any time soon.