Born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, Matthew grew up loving Math and Science because of his dad who is a civil engineer. His affinity for math led him to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Geological Engineering. Hear’s more about Matthew:
Q: What are you passionate about?
Matthew: Probably not a shocker coming from an engineer, but I love to problem solve and create. As a kid, I was obsessed with LEGOs and building things from scratch with my hands. I would spend my entire weekends in my room creating these massive LEGO cities. Most of them would take up a quarter of my room. I really enjoyed the process of meticulously building roads, skyscrapers, lakes and seeing them slowly come together.
Q: Tell me a little about the professional background
Matthew: Right out of college in 2017, I was offered a role as a civil engineer for an architectural and engineering firm. I stayed there for two years. During my time there, I really enjoy the people and projects, but at the end of the day, I would always go home and feel like I needed more of a challenge.
Q: Why do you want to get into Tech? What made you want to pivot?
Matthew: The innovation and creativity that technology offers really appealed to me. Coming from an engineering background, where all the standards and guidelines are pretty rigid and strict, the creativity aspect of my job was lacking. I began learning about data science and how its use in finance in my off time. Learning about python and discovering its power in statistical programming for finance really opened my eyes to a new world. That moment propelled me forward and launched a deep curiosity and passion for technology.
Q: Who are your role models?
Matthew: My dad is my only true role model. I often get inspired by individuals like David Goggins and Senera Williams, but who I want to build/model my life on are people I see and interact with every day. My dad has always been that steady hand throughout my life. He’s lived a life based on kindness, integrity, and patience and I definitely want to model my life on that.
Q: How did you get here? What inspired you to join the Testing Program?
Matthew: In 2019, I decided to leave my civil engineering job and pursue a role in technology full-time. During this past year, I focused on learning and developing a better understanding of topics such as data science and front-end development. My curiosity about testing and continuous thirst for knowledge led me to apply for the Bootcamp to get a different outlook on technology. The instructors and material have really helped me gain a solid and practical foundation in the software testing space.
Q: How do you think your background will be helpful in preparing you for this new world of tech and testing?
Matthew: I believe the attention to detail and problem-solving skills that were necessary for my previous role greatly translates in the world of tech and testing. I also think I have the endurance and patience needed to learn and thrive in the software testing realm, hard topics or materials have never scared me away or intimidated me, I think that comes from those nights studying for engineering exams in college.
Q: What about testing and this Bootcamp has been intriguing?
Matthew: Getting a better understanding of how things break. I think when most people think about the technology they think about developing rather than learning how to properly assess and thoroughly test digital products for bugs and errors.
About the #HireDiverseTesters Program
The #hirediversetesters program was created by QualityWorks to address the tech “pipeline problem” – the belief that there aren’t enough qualified BIPOC professionals to occupy roles in tech, specifically in testing. We’ve found the diverse talent and now we’re looking for companies who are committed to increasing diversity on their tech teams to join us.
