Evelyn Zuniga was working in tech support before she knew that role existed.

Since few other families at her apartment owned a computer, the preteen got used to troubleshooting printer problems and explaining Microsoft Word to neighbors.

“I was the one teaching them everything, and I really enjoyed that,” she said.

Zuniga little imagined this after-school hobby would become a full-time hustle — or the journey she would take to get there.

Finding her own path

Since no one else in her family had ever pursued college, Zuniga struggled to find her path. She gravitated toward what felt comfortable, promised good pay, and was easy to explain to her parents: healthcare.

“I chose it on a whim because I felt like all this pressure, like I needed to already know what I was doing,” she said.

Evelyn Zuniga, applications programming student

In fall 2023, Zuniga enrolled at San Jacinto College. Although she didn’t arrive knowing how college worked, she learned how to navigate it after countless meetings with advisors and online research.

For more than a year, she wrestled with feeling stuck, trying both nursing and radiography programs.

“I was scared of trying something new,” she said.

Finally, Zuniga took a gap semester. What changed her direction was bingeing YouTube videos about Python and coding language — and remembering her past technology troubleshooting experience.

One night it hit her: “I need to stop putting myself in a bubble and just branch out.”

San Jac’s online applications programming degree caught her attention, so in summer 2025, she enrolled in the program.

Asking for help

Even as Zuniga found a better fit, she still couldn’t shed her anxiety. Was she ruining her future? Was she “too dumb” for this?

“It felt like the other students already had some sort of knowledge of technology,” she said. “Even though they were starting from zero, I was starting at the negatives.”

As anxiety piled up, Zuniga turned to San Jac’s mental health counselors for support. They gave her space to share her fears, then showed her how to navigate spiraling anxiety and shift her thinking pattern.

“Every time I thought I wasn’t good enough, I thought to myself, ‘Then why not be good enough?’ And I would put that energy into my assignments and into trying to learn as much as I could. I started to not be hard on myself because everybody has challenges.” — Evelyn Zuniga, applications programming student

“Every time I thought I wasn’t good enough, I thought to myself, ‘Then why not be good enough?’ And I would put that energy into my assignments and into trying to learn as much as I could,” she said. “I started to not be hard on myself because everybody has challenges.”

Professors also encouraged her. One technology instructor — hashing out a challenging project with her one-on-one — reassured her it’s OK to ask for help.

“I think people feel they won’t get the support doing online classes, but if you reach out, you will,” she said.

Making room for what’s next

In the applications programming program, Zuniga is learning the ins and outs of languages like C++, JavaScript, and Python. But even while learning how to design, code, test, and debug computer programs, she expresses her creativity by designing webpages.

In her practicum course this fall, she assists with diagnosing and solving tech tickets. “Question the obvious” is always her first line of attack.

Thanks to observing San Jac’s techs and getting hands-on experience herself, Zuniga hopes to land a help desk role after she graduates this December. The College’s game design program is also on her radar.

“I have a creative side, so I would definitely like to get my associate in game development,” she said.

Embracing the journey

San Jac wasn’t just an affordable community college. It’s where Zuniga explored, changed direction, and got support. 

Two years ago, she was scared to try new things. She felt she had to stick to the plan and excel at everything she tried.

Since then, Zuniga has learned to relax and be content with the journey rather than the outcome. It’s the same advice she would give someone else: Be OK changing the script.

“Think about what you like and what makes you happy — not what would contribute the most to society, make others happy, or look the best,” she said. “If you ever feel too dumb for anything, go ahead and try it. If you fail, just pick yourself back up and try again.”

Learn more about the applications programming program. 

By Courtney Morris