I couldn’t attend my coding graduation in person, so they read my words for me.

Below is the full speech that was handed out to my peers, along with the shorter version that was read aloud.

The audio has been lightly altered, and the images are stylized. The transformation, though, isn’t edited at all.

The voice is mine.

The name is not.

For now, this is how I show up.

By “I am Kadence!”

When I walked out of prison, I was terrified and hopeful at the same time. But every day
since, the fear has loosened its grip, and the hope has started to shine a little brighter.
The fear was real, and sometimes it still is. But what’s different now is how I respond to
it. Freedom is beautiful, messy, and chaotic, and I’m learning to take it in one moment at
a time.

First of all, I am so incredibly proud of you. I want you to know something honestly: I
hated leaving you before class was over, and I truly miss you. I’ve already received
messages from some of you saying you feel more confident, more capable, more
hopeful, and that makes everything worth it.

I chose the Persevere coding class over work release, and I don’t regret that decision
for a second. Persevere didn’t just teach me how to code. It gave me structure and a
support system that mattered more than I knew at the time.

The ministry I was working for upon release had to close much sooner than expected.
Old me would have panicked and shut down. This time felt different. I took a deep
breath and called my mom, then my sponsor from AA. That alone was huge growth for
me. The next morning, I was literally out beating the pavement, going business to
business.

When I told Persevere about losing my job, the response was immediate. I had calls from Ms. Hamilton, Ms. Dobbie, Ms. Patel, and Mr. Upchurch offering support,

encouragement, resources, and reassurance. From the moment I got out, nearly every
Persevere staff member checked in on me and reminded me I wasn’t doing this alone.
Mr. D has readily answered all my coding questions. I’ve also attended Persevere
women’s support groups. Ms. Patel is looking into tech opportunities for me. And let’s
not forget, Ms. Hamilton and Ms. Dobbie patiently responded to me daily when I first got
released!

I’m telling you this for a reason. To give you hope. You can find work when you get out,
and you will.

Within three days, I had three solid job offers. One was a local bar owner willing to give
me a chance after I was upfront. Another interview started with me offering to wash
dishes and turned into an offer as a hostess. The job I ultimately accepted is as a
project manager assistant for a subcontractor helping build an Amazon distribution
center.

Even though coding isn’t my full-time job right now, I’m still coding. I already have my
first website client. I’ve moved my projects from GitLab to GitHub, have a public profile,
and I’m finishing my portfolio site.

Probably the most exciting thing I’m working on right now is my blog. It’s about reentry,
recovery, faith, motherhood, and starting over, told without polish and without
pretending I have it all figured out. I write about rebuilding relationships and learning
how to live differently, but I also write about the small things no one prepares you for:
the culture shock, the fear, the humor, the quiet messiness of becoming someone new,
and the moments that catch you off guard when you least expect them. Really, it’s for
anyone who has ever felt like their life didn’t go according to plan. It’s not a blueprint. It’s
life rewritten in real time. This work matters to me, and I believe it can matter to others
too.

Most importantly, I want you to know this:
Any one of you can call me when you get out. For anything. To vent. To freak out. To
ask coding questions or for advice. Get my number from Persevere or find me on
LinkedIn.

Remember, you are capable. You are enough. And you are not alone.

I’m so proud of you, and I can’t wait to see what you do next.

We WILL Persevere!