My name is Chi Bui, and I’m currently enrolled in Flatiron’s Part-time Data Science program. Three years ago, I would have never imagined myself attempting to learn the things that I am doing today. I guess you just never know how a hasty resignation, a spine surgery, and a move halfway across the world in the middle of a pandemic would alter the trajectory of your life.
It all started on June 27, 2019 — I got into an accident in Thailand that forced me to get a spinal fusion. I was in the hospital for 5 days and in a back brace for 3 months. It wiped out my bank account and floored my self-esteem. As a “strong independent woman” who paid her own bills and went to the gym 6 times a week to lift weights with her “bros,” I could not wrap my head around the fact that I had to depend on others for basic personal hygiene activities. My daily reality was turned upside down; I had to plan the logistics of my every move hours in advance and live off of others’ donations and kindness. I was broke and broken, both physically and mentally.
One day, I received a book on Audible from a friend, which I started listening to between my daily crying sessions. Gradually I cried less and read more; and somehow it went from 1 book to 8 in the first month. I read and listened to everything that intrigued me at the time, from self-help to prehistoric life, from investment to science; and one of them was “New Thinking: From Einstein to Artificial Intelligence, the Science and Technology that Transformed Our World” by Dagogo Altraide, which I finished in 4 days. Initially, terms like “neural networks” and “deep learning” quickly grabbed my attention purely because of my background in Psychology; but then they started sparking my interests in the art of computer programming.
August 2019 — I wrote my first lines of HTML on freeCodeCamp, still wearing a back brace. Two months after, I signed up for HarvardX CS50 — Introduction to Computer Science, which completely changed my perspective on programming and on myself. I slowly made my way through each week’s problem sets feeling like I’ve gained at least 5 IQ points. As glorious as it may sound, I also went through phases when I wanted to throw my laptop out the window and poke my eyes out with a bobby pin — I quickly learned that it is part of the game.
February 2020 — I started working as a Software Developer Intern for a start-up company in Vietnam. During that time, I learned Ruby, git, GitHub, Jira, etc. and most importantly how to cooperate with other people on a project. I was able to quickly catch on, and assigned to build one page on their website, which was actually deployed. COVID hit, and my internship ended after 1 month.
April 2020 — I signed up for CS50AI — Artificial Intelligence. For the first time in a long time, it felt like things were making so much sense that I kept going through the materials over and over as if they were love letters. I found the end results of the projects we worked on absolutely inspiring. 1 course on edX led to 4 more on coursera. I also received my U.S. Immigrant Visa but could not leave due to Vietnam closing its border.
July 2020 — I finally landed in Tampa Florida. The first few weeks were dedicated purely to just getting myself set up, and somewhat settled. However, my job search here has not been exactly smooth sailing. It just seems like a college degree, 5 years of corporate work experience, and all the courses/certifications I have taken do not mean anything. I ended up getting a job waiting tables at a Golf club. That was when I realized that I needed more guidance, and a game plan moving forward, especially when I am relatively new to the country and do not have an extensive network or resources to take advantage of. I started looking into different Machine Learning/Data Science bootcamps across the U.S., and a number of schools turned me down because I do not have a STEM degree. I was puzzled… how come nobody saw that being able to complete all those online courses on my own as a reflection of determination and self-discipline? All I wanted was somebody willing to take a chance on me, and there came Flatiron.
November 09, 2020 — my Flatiron cohort commenced. Albeit having a rough start, my Data Science journey has officially begun; and I am very excited to write this new chapter of my life using my newborn strengths. As strange as it may sound, thanks to my back surgery, I have created a new version of me — a woman that is not only strong and independent, but also more curious, more driven, and way more resilient.
