Meet Nolan Taft | Software Engineering Intern

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nolan Taft and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nolan, what is the most important factor behind your success?
I would argue that one of the most important factors behind my success is my drive to reach my goals. There are not many goals that I set, that I’m unable to achieve, so I will try my absolute hardest to achieve and surpass those goals! Doing so teaches me about my limitations and how to overcome those same limitations to become a better me. A better me leads to more success. The most important factor behind all success is realizing that you need to “make the best use of what is in your power, and take the rest as it happens” – Epictetus; make the best of every situation you can apply yourself to. For example, I saw a position for a job someone of my age is more than likely to be scared off by, but instead of running I applied myself and ended up landing the job. I set a goal for me to learn a new language, and I will push and push and push myself until all of a sudden I find myself being able to speak that language. The only thing that stops you, is you; nothing stops me.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My motivation is that of no others. I will set my goal and will not quit until I achieve it. This has been ever since I was a kid, I would set hard goals like learning a programming language, deconstructing an electrical object and then reconstructing it, or even just going out of my way to make sure I had a good connection with whomever I met. No matter the challenge I throw at myself, I welcome it with open arms as I learn from it. I was recently hired for a position that most people in the computer science field dream of, but are too afraid to simply apply for. This position required being at least a senior in a graduate program. I am a freshman in an undergraduate program and still managed to apply and get the position simply due to my drive. I struggled a lot throughout my life with social anxiety and the fear of failure. It took me years of training myself to not be affected by them, but in the end, I’ve become a much stronger person than I could have ever dreamed of being. I stopped making excuses for myself, and instead started just doing. Doers succeed, where those who are too afraid of success are left behind. The moment you open your eyes and notice how amazing you are is the moment that you start overcoming your fears of failure and start becoming a doer.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Welcome to Colorado Springs, the place full of hidden treasures. I would absolutely show anyone that is visiting Gold Camp, which houses a beautiful view of the city, day and night. Next I’d show them the amazing Garden of the Gods, just make sure they wear some cool clothes. If they were up to it, I’d hike the incline with them! Otherwise there’s always the new cog railway that is really cool. We also have the Cave of the Winds, the Cheyanne Mountain Zoo, the cliff dwellings, Seven Falls, and many other amazing land features. We’d eat at many of the local food restaurants like Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar and the Bonefish Grill, but don’t forget about the enormous amount of food trucks we have here that serve amazing food! If we just wanted to hang out, I’d go to the top of one of the parking garages downtown where there are a lot of car meets! There is never a lack of things to do in the Springs!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
A huge source of motivation for me has always been my parents and friends. They will always push me to try my absolute hardest, and if I fail in the end they always remind me that I tried, and that is all that matters in the end. I am also, as a side note, heavily inspired by Elon Musk. Even though he’s gone through so much, he’s still managed to create some of the largest modern-day companies out there.

Website: https://nolant.org

Instagram: ysfwtbob

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-taft-0b0633219/