My path to becoming owner and CEO of 8^th Light, an Evergreen® software development business, did not follow what might be viewed as a traditional trajectory. I didn’t go straight to college to get a degree in computer science or math or engineering. I didn’t actually graduate from a mainstream high school but instead earned my GED and first attended a vocational school.

I always loved to learn, but the standard academic track was never the right place for me. When I was counseled to attend vocational school, because my grades wouldn’t get me into a four-year college, my interest in computers led me to learn programming. I got a lot of joy out of solving the really hard problems it presented. My intellectual curiosity was piqued, and I fell in love with the craft, ultimately earning enough credits to apply to a four-year degree program. That experience revealed to me a path to professional success that was fueled by passion and practical application.