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luantavares.dev
the story

How I became a
developer

A chronological log of every milestone — The whole journey.

origindiscoveryfirst-codeschoolchallengeachievementwork
01 / 17origin

0 years old

1998

Born in Lorena, Brazil

I was born in Lorena, a small city in São Paulo surrounded by rural areas, small churches and streets where bicycles were part of everyday life.

  • Brazil
  • Lorena
  • Origins
Born in Lorena, Brazil
02 / 17origin

3 years old

2001

A New Beginning in São José dos Campos

After living with my grandparents, I moved to São José dos Campos to live with my parents. The larger city introduced me to a very different environment.

  • São José dos Campos
  • Change
  • Childhood
A New Beginning in São José dos Campos
03 / 17discovery

10 years old

2008

My First Regular Contact with Computers

I began using computers regularly to play online games with friends. Curiosity gradually turned the computer from a source of entertainment into something to explore.

  • Computers
  • Curiosity
  • Technology
My First Regular Contact with Computers
04 / 17discovery

12 years old

2010

From Consumer to Creator

I became fascinated by creating things digitally, experimenting with video editing, electronic music production and stick-figure animations.

  • Video Editing
  • Music Production
  • Animation
From Consumer to Creator
05 / 17school

12 years old

2010

Moving to Jacareí

I moved to Jacareí, where I would later attend high school and begin the technical education that transformed my curiosity into a career direction.

  • Jacareí
  • Change
  • Education
Moving to Jacareí
06 / 17school

14–15 years old

2013

Choosing Computing

As part of my high-school curriculum, I chose a technical course in Informática. This was my first opportunity to study computing in a structured environment.

  • Informática
  • Technical Education
  • Computing
07 / 17first-code

14–15 years old

2013

My First Line of Code

I wrote my first programs in C, beginning with Hello World before progressing to calculations, conditions and loops—even writing code on paper during exams.

  • C
  • Programming Fundamentals
  • Problem Solving
08 / 17achievement

14–18 years old

2013–2016

Discovering the Joy of Problem Solving

Programming competitions showed me how satisfying it was to overcome difficult problems with a team. Those experiences helped confirm that software was my path.

  • Programming Marathons
  • Teamwork
  • Problem Solving
09 / 17achievement

17–18 years old

2016

First Place at INIC Junior

My team built a C++ and MySQL project that plotted and compared simulated brain activity in healthy brains and brains affected by microcephaly.

  • C++
  • MySQL
  • Data Visualisation
  • INIC Junior
First Place at INIC Junior
10 / 17challenge

19–20 years old

2018

Moving from Brazil to the UK

I moved to the UK with my family in January 2018. Without a university qualification or experience in the UK system, entering software proved difficult.

  • United Kingdom
  • Migration
  • New Beginning
11 / 17work

19–26 years old

2018–2024

Taking the Long Route

I worked across retail, warehouses and cafés. These roles strengthened my communication, organisation, prioritisation and resilience while I pursued a route back to technology.

  • Resilience
  • Communication
  • Adaptability
Taking the Long Route
12 / 17challenge

19–26 years old

2018–2024

Learning JavaScript

I studied JavaScript through online courses while commuting to work, often watching lessons on the bus at 6 AM. Progress was slow, but I refused to abandon my goal.

  • JavaScript
  • Self-Learning
  • Persistence
Learning JavaScript
13 / 17challenge

19–26 years old

2018–2024

Investing in My Education

I used money earned from warehouse work to complete a college course, improving my chances of entering university despite not attending school in the UK.

  • Education
  • Sacrifice
  • University Preparation
Investing in My Education
14 / 17achievement

25–26 years old

2024

Graduating in Computer Science

I completed my Computer Science degree, gaining the qualification I needed to compete for development roles and turn years of independent learning into a profession.

  • Computer Science
  • University
  • Graduation
Graduating in Computer Science
15 / 17work

26–27 years old

2025

Becoming a Full-Stack Developer

In April 2025, I joined Cloudfy as a full-stack developer, working professionally with C#, Next.js, TypeScript and SQL Server.

  • Cloudfy
  • C#
  • Next.js
  • TypeScript
  • SQL Server
Becoming a Full-Stack Developer
16 / 17now

26–28 years old

2025–Present

Building an Integration Platform

I work across the frontend and backend of a node-based platform that builds workflows for extracting and integrating business data with Cloudfy's integration API.

  • Full Stack
  • Integration
  • Workflows
  • APIs
17 / 17now

27–28 years old

Present

Proof That the Path Can Bend

My journey was never a straight line, but every move, setback and unexpected turn taught me to keep going. Progress may take time, but persistence can turn even a distant dream into reality.

  • Persistence
  • Growth
  • Full-Stack Developer
// terminal
luantavares@dev:~$ echo "story not finished yet"
story not finished yet
luantavares@dev:~$