TUMO alumna Nane has split her life into three: she moved to Poland from Armenia and works remotely as a Software Engineer for Jam City located in California. She also can’t believe that she’s already an adult.

Expectations

When I registered at TUMO, I was a bit nervous that I would feel forced to attend. I was afraid that the activities and workshops would add more to my to-do list, which I already didn’t like having back then. But it ended up being really different. TUMO gave me freedom and an opportunity to get to know myself. I met really cool people, developed my interests, and discovered new things that I was good at. The most important thing that I learned at TUMO was…

…to do everything with joy

That doesn’t mean forcing yourself to be excited about every small thing. The opposite, actually. When you’re sad, it’s better to let yourself be sad and unmotivated, instead of shaming yourself and feeling even worse. Finding joy is about not forcing yourself to do things that you dislike and not being afraid of novelty. There will be options that won’t work out, but you’ll also discover paths that will feel like they were made just for you. But you won’t know this unless you try.

Rock Climbing One Love

I never thought that I’d enjoy rock climbing. I tried it with my coworkers once and enjoyed it so much that I signed up for classes that same day. Just like programming, rock climbing requires intensive problem solving skills. Every second is about finding optimal and effective solutions.

My Own Game

Part dream and part reality. The idea behind Liquidizer was born during a 48-hour hackathon and we used it for a bunch of purposes: applying to universities and jobs or just to brag and get some feedback. In 2020, the game was the first place winner of the Vahé & Lucie Award Tech Category. The three of us are working on it now to get it to where we want it to be. Maybe when the game brings in a stable income…

…then I’ll understand what it means to be an adult.

As of now, I don’t have the slightest clue about how to fill out a tax return (due tomorrow). But I do like the idea of having my own house and a DIY garage. I want to drive around and do work that I like. I’m not sure if any of those have anything to do with being an “adult”.