What is UP!!

Glad you stopped by 🍕 my name is M Newman and in February I quit my job as a high school science teacher due to my declining mental health 🧠.

TLDR;
_I left the classroom for a role in tech for a few reasons, namely the flexibility that tech can offer my family that classroom teaching cannot. My wife, a London native turned LA screenwriter, is undergoing treatment for an immune condition that greatly limits our ability to interact with folks in person - adding the pandemic to this meant I was often working with folks who didn't understand our family's needs or work-life balance.

I was having to choose between supporting my wife's recovery and treatment and putting her at risk every day; my work was no longer creative and I just wasn't enjoying the things I was creating anymore. I stumbled into an intro to coding workshop and fell in love with the idea of moving into a career that would not only be understanding, flexible and creative, but one that would engage my desire to learn, grow and develop work that feels meaningful! I was tired of not feeling proud of the work I was pushing. I LOVE to push myself, to learn and to build something from nothing, and so tech / web dev just feels right._

Why I'm HERE:
My goal in work (and life, honestly) is for folks to feel successful -- I think all folks deserve equal access and I want to act as someone who can facilitate that equity in whatever way possible. I hope to build beautiful, accessible websites and apps that can help folks succeed, no matter their current situation.

I pride myself on being an advocate for folks, which has developed me into a communicator who seeks solutions that feel fair, logical and concise. Your support helps my family keep the lights on, helps fund my continued education and helps us pay for my wife's treatment. 🤩