Programming was my identity project. I suppose it still is. I grew up US rural South poor. My childhood started well, but went down hill to the point that, by h

Programming was my identity project. I suppose it still is. I grew up US rural South poor. My childhood started well, but went down hill to the point that, by high school, my single mom was raising three kids in a 2 bedroom single-wide trailer. I aced standardized tests, but my initial idea of what to do after high school was to keep my dishwasher job. Mom, the guidance counselors and our support system weren't of much help. Luckily, mom taught us about reading and libraries, and, luckily, the local community college offered scholarships to the top 10% of local high school students if they stuck around. CC was a nice change of pace from doing dishes, and connected me to programming, which led to a state school, a BSCS, a career, an MSCS, and, shortly, a PhD. My main excuse for the PhD is to be able to give back as I've been given to. The identity project was important, and not something I'd have been able to afford without help from society. I think I've paid much more in taxes as a developer than I'd have as a dishwasher/cook, so society's 'hand up' wasn't just a 'hand out'. I'm sure not everyone can follow the same path, but I'm sure glad the path was there, and I'm hopeful we'll see fit to leave paths like it out there.