My journey into the world of computers began when I was nine years old, thanks entirely to my mom. She brought home a PC from her workplace when the company upgraded its equipment and offered older machines to their senior staff. That machine was the IBM 5150, one of the earliest personal computers to make its way into American homes.

It ran entirely on a 5.25 inch floppy disk and felt both mysterious and exciting. I remember sitting in front of it for hours, reading through the manuals to figure out how to boot and install the operating system. Before long, I discovered another manual filled with instructions for a programming language called BASIC. That was the moment everything changed.

One of the first programs I ever wrote was a simple basketball game. The player could choose options like Pass, Shoot, or Dribble, while the defensive options included Steal or Block. The computer generated a random number to determine whether the action succeeded. It kept score and ended the game at 20 points. Another early project was a game based on the Greek myth of Medusa. She had multiple heads, and you had to guess which one to cut off before your health ran out. The games were simple, but for a nine year old, they were transformative.

That early curiosity became the foundation of a lifelong passion for technology. The IBM 5150 sparked my interest, shaped my education, and ultimately helped lead me to the career I have today.

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