“Computers control the world,” said Zoed Mora, a 27-year-old computer science major at Cal State University Long Beach.
Mora was given the opportunity to break into the technology industry via the alternative educational program Roadtrip Nation.
His experience with the program was documented and is now airing on PBS as part of the series “CodeTrip.”
Mora said that being Latino has shaped him in various ways. From being racially profiled to using his background to his advantage, Mora said he hopes to close the gap on the lack of Latinos in the technology industry.
“Obviously I look around and there’s no Mexicans in computer science,” he said, “but that never made me stop; it doesn’t matter because I’m confident in my skills.”
Roadtrip Nation, based in Costa Mesa, is a project that allows participants to travel to different cities in the country and meet experts in the participant’s field of interests.
When selected to participate with Roadtrip Nation, Mora said he was really happy and excited, as was his family. However, his family doesn’t quite understand the work he does.
Mora explained that his father usually expects fast, noticeable results in his son’s work, but he’s unaware of the time and dedication that technology projects entail.
“My pops never believes me,” Mora said, “I guess he doesn’t see any advancement. But they don’t know, they don’t understand.”
Technology is something that his parents are not accustomed to and it’s hard for them to understand even when his son explains it.
“My parents didn’t help,” Mora said. “Not because they didn’t want to, but [because] they couldn’t help me… they didn’t know.”
But Mora said he doesn’t get discouraged. Technology for him has always been fascinating. [pullquote speaker=”Zoed Mora” photo=”” align=”left” background=”on” border=”all” shadow=”on”]Obviously I look around and there’s no Mexicans in computer science, but that never made me stop; it doesn’t matter because I’m confident in my skills.[/pullquote]
Mora said he remembers always being curious and asking how things worked. He reminisced about old games: “When we had Nintendo, and then the Game Boy — it was all cool stuff, all technology.”
“Nobody ever knew what it was, at least not my family,” Mora said, “and then you asked teachers and they just said it was a bunch of ones and zeros, but what does that mean?”
This trip was an opportunity not only for Mora, but for two women from underrepresented communities as well.
Natalie Melo, a 20-year-old Brazilian-American from Malden, MA and Robin Maxkii, a 29-year- old from Houston, TX who grew up on the Flathead Indian reservation, went on the trip with Mora.
Mora found out about Roadtrip Nation thanks to a professor at Long Beach City College, which he attended before CSULB.
While Roadtrip Nation usually focuses on fields other than computer science, this particular trip worked in collaboration with Microsoft Philanthropies.
Microsoft Philanthropies is an extension of the multinational technology company that strives for empowerment through inclusion of people in undeveloped places into the technology industry.
Roadtrip Nation stemmed from three college graduate students: Mike Marriner, Nathan Gebhard and Brian McAllister, who decided to travel the country asking successful people how they figured out what they wanted to do.
The project, which began in 2001, became a movement that allows people to “connect their passion and interest with career opportunities,” said Megan Dester, senior program manager at Roadtrip Nation.
“Often, we know that opportunities are more challenging for others,” Dester said. “Your upbringing shouldn’t determine what you do with your life.”
Marriner, Gebhard and McAllister’s idea was paired up with a 35-foot green 1985 RV in which participants travel the country.
Throughout the roadtrip, Mora, Melo and Maxkii had the opportunity to talk to people who had answers to questions regarding their field of study and who understood the language they were speaking.
The experts gave a message to the participants about not being scared of failure.
“That was the hardest concept for me to grasp,” Mora said. “I don’t want to fail, that’s my biggest fear.”
The experts also spoke with the participants about the sacrifices each one of them experienced throughout their careers.
For Mora, the hardest part of going on this month-long road trip was leaving his 3-year-old son, Zoed Michael.
Mora said his motivation comes from wanting to do great things for his family to see them prosper. With the knowledge and skills he’s gained, his goal is to achieve financial stability.
“I want to make money,” he said. “Who doesn’t want to see their family prosper? Who doesn’t want to have a lot of money so that you can help anybody?”
Mora is continuing to pursue his degree and is expected to graduate next year.
He said that he hopes his son likes computer science as much as he does.
“I’ll be able to help him a lot,” he said, “and plus, I want him to control the world, too.”
CodeTrip airs every Tuesday and Thursday at 3 p.m. on PBS until Oct. 8.