Poonam Daas: In Pursuit of the American Dream

Growing up in a South Asian, Indo-Caribbean working class family,

the rigor of hard work was visible in the calluses of my father’s hands and in the depths of weary lines pitted across my mother’s face. My parents never had the opportunity to follow their passions, instead, they worked hard so that I could follow mine.

We migrated from Suriname to America in 2001 in the hopes that our new home would embrace us. We settled in Jamaica, Queens—the prime capital of 25 bus services on one avenue, mouth-watering beef patties, bustling barbershops, and the bodega cat who ran the neighborhood.

My father was a day laborer. In another lifetime he would have been an electrical engineer, but growing up in a rural village meant limited access to his dreams. Somehow he’d always make sure I had what I needed. The first time I received a laptop was in 6th grade, equivalent to 60 hours of his work, just so that I can develop alongside my classmates. He knew the importance of the growing tech industry and didn’t want me to get left behind.

Our immigration status forced us to live and make choices out of fear. By my senior year of high school, my socioeconomic status barred me from applying to colleges. But with the help of community members and fundraisers, I was lucky to get in and attend. I had a hard time choosing my major because you really don't know what you’re passionate about until you try it--and I wanted to try everything. I took a computer science course junior year and was amazed at how much you can do in writing one line of code. We mapped city data and created graphs and charts which would be used to create policies on reducing our carbon footprint in the city.

By the time I graduated, my father became ill. I had to assume the role of head of the household. I couldn’t think about my career because I had to work several jobs to pay rent and groceries.

As I was talking through my worries with a dear friend, she mentioned Pursuit and thought it would be a great program to seek the guidance, tech skills, and support I was looking for. I decided to take the leap and apply. During the interview process, I remember my interviewer and Pursuit staff member Steve asking me why I wanted to be part of the Fellowship. And without hesitation, I told him it was the first time I am choosing for myself what I want to do and where I want my life to go. And the tech field is not only lucrative but incredibly supportive with everyone willing to take the time to teach you.

The Fellowship definitely wasn't easy. I worked full time while attending the nights and weekend class. Of course, there were nights I’d think to myself if any of this was worth it. But I’d think back to the tribulations of my parents and how lucky I am to be complaining about debugging rather than coming to a new country and adapting to a culture that sees you as an outsider when you’re brown and broke.

Most importantly it was the sense of community that carried me throughout the Fellowship. Everyone believed in me more than I believed in myself. Corey, Mashu, Sparky, Gigi, and Tim had no doubts that I could learn the material and hopped on calls whenever I needed help. Sareen checked in on me when it became tough to balance life and work. Amanda and Amina helped prepare me for my interviews, helped me work through my self-doubt, and provided great insight on the ways to navigate systems that historically left out marginalized groups.

And to my peers Jeffrey, Carlos, and my dearest friend Flower who would pair program endlessly with me until we came to a solution. And of course to all of 7.2 who always left me in awe with their hard work, grit, and dedication.

The Fellowship was a year of self-growth for me. As someone who always had trouble asking for help, because when you are poor people will shame you and make you feel like it's your fault for the situations that you are in and as you grow up watching your parents getting denied every time they asked for help because of their immigration status – you learn to become self-reliant. The Pursuit community gave me a reason to unlearn the habit and relearn how to ask for help because the people here want to see you succeed.

With the training and new job, I have been able to move my family into a bigger apartment with bigger windows and we finally have HEAT! Now every day the sun wakes me up. I complete my eight-hour workday from my room and my dad’s goat curry replenishes my energy during my lunch break. His face looks a lot brighter too, I hope there’s a sense of relief for him in knowing that we will be okay and that he can relax and enjoy the moments with us.

I also have a great team at work who believe in me and are supportive and helpful. Whether it's hopping on calls until 7 pm to debug code or bouncing off ideas during our 15-minute scrum calls, everyone is present and willing to provide support.

Imposter syndrome no doubt creeps in from time to time but when things become overwhelming, I find my way back to Pursuit, talking to Caroline or Cameron on how to navigate these feelings in the corporate world because they very much so understand my background as a working-class immigrant from Queens.