My Superheroes

I've been in the IT profession for more than 8 years, and over that time I've met some nice people who don't come from extremely privileged backgrounds.

One of my coworkers, a Kazakh native, lost both of his parents when he was quite young. He was brought up by his uncle, and there were occasions when he went without food. However, he was able to complete his studies at the best university in Kazakhstan, acquired all necessary skills, and is currently employed by some FAANG company as a Software Engineer.

One more from Nepal who was never exposed to a computer due to living in a distant place. He just became computer literate after being admitted to college. He had a deep love for Hollywood films, computer games, and its incredible special effects. He abruptly realized that he had become immersed in the realm of computer programming. He committed that to memory. He is currently one of Nepal's top backend engineers.

I had the pleasure of working with a fantastic Cuban full-stack engineer. His childhood wasn't good. He occasionally had to starve alongside his family members and even lacked basic necessities like clothing, a toothbrush, and toothpaste. He rose to the position of tech leader at some prosperous businesses.

Another coworker was from Nigeria and had experienced the continuing ethnic strife in that country. He witnessed the brutal murder of his friends and family members by radicals. He made the decision to concentrate on his life's purpose and moved abroad to finish his Masters in Computer Engineering. Today, he works as a machine learning engineer.

I had the opportunity to work with a mobile engineer from Myanmar who was impacted by the difficult circumstances there. Being a minority there did not always make for an easy life for him. He used his own funds to develop his own apps, and within months, he had 50,000 users. He is currently employed by a respectable business and is always developing his abilities.

The reason why I am sharing these because all of these guys who had difficult childhood managed to go out of their conflict zone and develop themselves. They mastered all the skills they need to come to this level despite of odd situation. When I compare myself to them, I got surprised every time that how fortunate I am being part of the privileged background. I was just four years old when my dad gifted me my first video game console. I first used a computer when I was only five years old. I kept all of those expensive toys in a showcase. Compared to them, I had a better childhood. My parents have always been there for me, and I have a wonderful older sister who has taken good care of me.

However, my coworkers learn faster than I do in every regard.

I was once asked which superhero I most admire.

I constantly say, "My fantastic coworkers," with a smile.

My superheroes don't fly through the air or wear capes.

Despite all the obstacles, they just keep programming.

When they fail, they know how to bravely get back up.

I can learn a lot from them.

P.S. : Each person's own experience is the basis for the country names that were mentioned. Personally, I have no issues with any of them.

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