Chapter 2: Lines of Resistance

Chapter 2: Lines of Resistance

Intro:

As Ethan moved into secondary school, the passion he nurtured met its first real resistance—not from machines, but from people and circumstances that doubted a dream could be coded into reality.

Story:

High school was a bigger, more competitive world. Ethan was no longer the only kid who could type without looking at the keyboard. There were others—some with newer laptops, online course access, and even professional mentors. For a while, he felt out of place.

Worse, his father lost his job due to school budget cuts. The family now had to manage expenses more carefully. Ethan’s laptop, already battered, began overheating and crashing. His parents couldn’t afford a new one. So, Ethan got creative—he built a homemade cooling system using a USB fan and a modified lunchbox lid. It wasn’t pretty, but it worked.

To access more advanced resources, Ethan spent weekends at the city library, watching free online lectures, typing out notes on borrowed computers. He found open-source communities that welcomed his curiosity and guided his learning.

Still, not everyone believed in him. When he applied for a regional coding competition, a teacher told him, “Maybe try next year—it’s a bit advanced for you.” Ethan entered anyway. He developed a prototype for an app that used color coding and voice alerts to assist students with dyslexia in managing schoolwork.

The presentation day was nerve-wracking. His slides were basic, and he stumbled through the first few sentences. But when he demonstrated the app, the room fell silent. Judges leaned in. One of them—a senior developer from a tech firm—asked, “Did you build this entirely on your own?”

“Yes,” Ethan said.

He didn’t win first place. But he did win something better—a summer internship offer at that very tech company.

Outro:

As Ethan walked home that evening, offer letter in hand, he realized something powerful: resistance was only proof that he was on the right path.