The following is the script from 6.4 Fellow Marvin Thompson’s speech at his Gong Ceremony, a Pursuit tradition when graduated Fellows celebrate landing a full-time tech job with their families, friends, colleagues, and our community cheering them on.
This is his transformation story, in his words.
Good afternoon, Pursuit Fellows, teachers, and staff.
My name is Marvin Thompson. I'm not the best at writing speeches. Nonetheless, I'm honored to be standing before you. Honestly, I think it's crazy to even be here.
For as far back as I can remember, I've always felt that I didn't have an answer to the age-old question of 'what do you want to be when you grow up'. I've always been a creative. Making things with my hands is all I knew. I dreamed of being a musician and seeing the world. But for a while, it seemed like the world laughed at that dream. For an open-ended question like that, it didn't seem like my option was acceptable, but all of the other options also seemed... wrong.
Every day of high school felt like I woke up unprepared for the test called life. People always told me about my potential to do X or Y, but no matter how much I tried to force it, no matter how much I decorated it, nothing could make any of those boxes feel like home. I fell into years of craziness with rambunctious friends and we vented our frustrations with feedback and loud microphones. I felt that the world had a predetermined answer to that introspective question, and I was determined to overwrite it, but I also knew that I had to survive.
For a while, I tried my best. I kept my own motivation train running. I pushed myself through an associate’s, and then a bachelor’s degree. Said yes to everything, every program, every job. Worked retail, food service, worked at upstarts, volunteer work, and everywhere made me miserable. I kept writing, singing, playing shows. Going broke and hopping turnstiles to get to where I needed to be, and finding ways to make that money back. When people asked me what I wanted to be, I told them what they wanted to hear.
However, after college, it seemed like that train crashed. I was stranded in my own mind, and I didn't know what to do next. It was the most lost I've ever felt, and for a while, I didn't know if a next step would come.
One day, my girlfriend Carina told me she was going to try out this 'coding thing' she heard about from a friend of hers, and she asked me to come with her to be her 'sponsor'. I was broke and didn't know what that was, but I came along. I met a few people that night including Tali [from Pursuit] and then befriended a bunch of really cool people. It was strange.
6.4 Commencement Ceremony via Zoom, Marvin pictured top middle.
When I walked into class the first time, I didn't expect to be welcomed by anyone. I didn't expect to love it as much as I did, and to love everyone here as much as I do. I never expected to find an answer to that question, and I didn't expect it to be Web Development. I didn't expect to look forward to the future.
Even lost roads have destinations. The important thing is to keep on walking and to be sure not to ignore what the surrounding scenery teaches you.
I think I wasted so much time trying to match my destinations with others that I didn't take into account all of the lessons these travels have taught me. And I'm grateful for every step, and everyone who pushed me when my legs got too tired.
Your effort gives me the strength to keep chasing after what I want now.
