Programming
WITH A Passion BY HOPE PARSONS, JUNIOR, T.F. NORTH
A
s technology evolves and the demand for programmers rises, the job prospects for the industry expand, making it an increasingly popular field. “Programming used to be more of a luxury, but as technology evolves it’s become a necessity,” says Braxton Nunnally, 19, who has created a software operating system and also teaches programming classes. Based on the students I spoke with, despite the popularity of social media and new and exciting apps, they have not really thought about programming. But for Nunnally, programming started in high school at King College Prep. “I wouldn’t give up programming for the world. It’s what I love, and it’s definitely a strong passion of mine,” Nunnally says. Even though programming wasn’t his first choice, it definitely became a passion. “I just kinda fell into it,” he says. “I had tried other things like becoming a pilot or an architect, but I started getting into programming and fell in love with it.” Family issues made it impossible for Nunnally to attend college, so he started working with programs like JavaScript on his own. When asked if it was difficult to get into programming without a college degree, Nunnally says, “Not going to college didn’t really affect me. The pay for coding and developing apps was of course lower, but it didn’t discourage me. New companies are more openminded, because programming has become such a necessity.” Nunnally wants to leave his imprint on the world by developing his own programming languages, such as CC and Scorpion. In high school, when he found his passion for programming, he began self-teaching and even developed a calculation application that sparked thousands of free downloads. When asked to give advice to teens who are interested in getting involved with programming he says, “If programming is something you really wanna do, just start doing it. With so many new resources you can start by watching tutorials on YouTube or Google, or even going out and looking for classes.” When Nunnally began programming, he didn’t have any classes to help him, so that’s why he’s inspired to help others learn. “I like to encourage my students to help motivate one another. If their friends or family want to get into programming, bring them to my class. Young or old, I’ll teach them.” Nunnally teaches a wide age-range, from 5-years-old to even 20-years-old at the tech innovation center Blue 1647. “Learning programming from a young age really puts you at an advantage,” he says. I encourage people to try it out as long as you have the passion to learn. If you’re unsure about programming, just follow your heart and do whatever you love. It’ll be frustrating at first but it’ll also be very fulfilling once you get into it.”
14 TRUE STAR MAGAZINE
The world is moving fast and social media is on the rise. Anyone can get into programming if they try hard enough. So if you feel a strong passion about it, then follow your heart and program your dreams into a beautiful virtual reality.