By Krysten Brenlla
For Rolando Caceres, a career in the medical field was always his ultimate goal. He spent 12 years as a paramedic in Miami, but when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, he took on the role of director of operations at the Port St. Lucie COVID-19 site. However, as the pandemic began to subside, Caceres found himself asking, “What’s next?”
“Around that time, I found out that my fiancée was pregnant, and I understood that once the pandemic ended, I needed to make some changes for my family,” Caceres said. “I read a quote somewhere that said, ‘sometimes you have to be like a bow and arrow – in order to go further, you have to draw back to soar forward.’ That quote stuck with me for so long, so when I told my fiancée that I needed to go back to school, she supported me.”
Much like a bow and arrow, Caceres paused his career to focus on school full-time and raise their son while his fiancée supported them. He remembered how much he loved robotics throughout his childhood, so he decided to take a leap and pursue a degree in Information Systems Technology with a concentration in Software Engineering at Miami Dade College.
“My two best friends are software engineers – they helped me through this process,” Caceres said. “I started doing my own projects and saw the results of what I created, and thought it was all very cool.”
Throughout his time at MDC, Caceres says that his biggest resource was the efforts and opportunities the faculty and staff provided to him and his classmates – from interview prep to job-search help – with the support of Miami Tech Works‘ Miami Tech Talent Coalition, a collaboration of employers, academia and community organizations creating new tech pathways for residents and students. Miami Tech Works is funded with a $10 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration.
“MDC showed me things I wasn’t doing to differentiate myself from other candidates,” Caceres said. “Within the Information Systems Technology program, the teachers and staff are very helpful, and the students are all in it together – everyone works together to meet their own goals.”
And, as part of his capstone project, he was part of the group that was selected to present their project in Chicago. Patricia Hernandez, who we recently highlighted on Refresh Miami, represented the group at the conference, and Caceres’ mentor, Michael Jean, helped in the application development. Their project focused on automating academic student maps to help students select the right classes.
By August 2024, Caceres had graduated with his bachelor’s degree – making the dean’s list almost every semester.
One month later, in September, he started a new job as a software engineer with XTec, an authentication and security solutions company that provides end-to-end identify management infrastructure for government and commercial enterprises.
Caceres credits his time at MDC with providing him not just with theoretical knowledge, but with practical, real-world skills and solutions that have been invaluable in shaping his career outside the classroom.
“They didn’t just teach me how to code – they taught me how to think logically through problems,” Caceres shared. “What I love most about being a software engineer is the sense of freedom it gives me. You’re assigned a task, and you break your brain finding a solution. Once you’ve cracked it, there’s this sense of reward in seeing your creation come to life. That freedom, along with the reward, is what I truly love about this field.”
For the future, Caceres is looking forward to continuing his journey as a software engineer in South Florida. When asked to share advice for others looking to break into the industry, Caceres says perseverance is key.
“I know it’s a little cliché to say, but really, just don’t give up, and start immediately,” Caceres said. “Always believe in yourself – you may have a lot of imposter syndrome, but show yourself that you can do this.”
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For employers: How to get involved in the Miami Tech Talent Coalition
Your involvement can make a significant difference in shaping the future of Miami’s tech industry, creating a vibrant and sustainable tech talent ecosystem. Together, participants can continue to build Miami as an innovative hub and a desirable destination for businesses and tech talent.
- Join the Coalition here. Employers can also specify a work group they are interested in.
- Attend a meeting: The next in-person general meeting will be Feb. 5. Find out more and register here.
- Stay connected with the coalition’s progress and updates by signing up for their newsletter here, reviewing the website here, and following Miami Tech Works on LinkedIn and Instagram.
READ MORE IN REFRESH MIAMI:
- At the Tech Talent Summits and Fest, smart job-hunting advice was in abundance. Here’s some of the best.
- The Cuban native dreamed of earning a degree. Now she’s graduating from MDC and already landed a job in tech.
- Small business resilience takes center stage at Tech Talent Coalition’s year-end event
- From accounting to web development: Meet this Ironhack grad making big strides in programming
- How Break Through Tech Miami bridges the gap between classroom and industry
- The data is in: We have tech talent, but are not retaining it. Now what?
- And much more here.
Refresh Miami is a proud partner of Miami Tech Works
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