Suzanne Michelle Sellers Damons

Focus? Honey, I got the attention span of a squirrel on espresso—but I keep comin' back. Success for me ain't about never losin' your way; it's about refindin' it over and over. It's the 3 AM study sessions after a Subway shift. It's losin' my daughter in 2009 and still pickin' up that phone when CTU called. It's takin' things apart—code, clubs, broken dreams—and rebuildin' 'em better. So yeah, I try to stay focused, and when I can't, I just put one foot in front of the other and trust the path. That ain't a backup plan—that's the whole plan. And so far? It's workin' like a well-oiled biscuit press.

Best advice came from a mentor who looked me dead in the eye and said: "Don't build what you think the world wants—build what you can't stop takin' apart." That hit me like a 2x4. I didn't choose software engineering for the money; I chose it 'cause I love understandin' how things tick—from robot arms to club dynamics to the human heart after loss. That advice freed me from tryin' to be perfect and let me be curious instead. So now I tell myself: "Stitch the quilt first, worry about the pattern later." Careers ain't built in straight lines—they're built in patches, and every single one of 'em counts.

Stay focused—but also stay curious. As a first-gen student and a woman who's stacked boxes at Walmart, wrapped subs at Subway, and coded 'til 2 AM, I know the industry can feel like a boys' club with a "No Girls Allowed" sign still wet on the door. But here's the thing: you don't need permission to take things apart. You got a brain, you got grit, and you got a story nobody else can tell. So find your people—like I found my First Gen club—and stitch yourself a community. And when somebody tells you you're not technical enough? Hand 'em a robot arm or a dreamcatcher and say, "Watch me." Focus is important, but fire is what gets you through the door.

The biggest challenge? Breaking in when you don't have the "right" name, the "right" school, or the "right" network. Landing an internship ain't just about a résumé—it's about convincing somebody to take a chance on a girl from Jefferson, GA who learned robotics in a Walmart warehouse. But here's the opportunity: AI and automation are exploding, and companies are desperate for people who can actually work with machines—not just talk about 'em. My MFC certificate and my hands-on experience give me a leg up, 'cause I've debugged robots and wrapped sandwiches in the same 24-hour shift. The opportunity is me—and every other nontraditional student who's bringing real-world grit to a field that's been too shiny for too long.

Integrity, curiosity, and the stubborn refusal to stay broken. In work, that means I don't cut corners—whether I'm debugging code or organizing a club event, I do it right the first time, 'cause my name's on it. Curiosity keeps me asking "why" and "what if," even when everybody else has already moved on. And in my personal life? Resilience is the thread that stitches everything together. Losing my daughter in 2009 taught me that staying true to yourself ain't about being perfect—it's about being real. It's about showing up for your people, your community, and your own dang self, even when the world feels like it's been hit with a wrecking ball. So when I say "stay true," I mean: own your story, patch your own quilt, and don't let nobody tell you that Jefferson, GA or a Subway apron makes you less than. Because it don't. It makes you more.