Jyri Merivalli

Introduction

Hello World! My name is Jyri Merivalli, I’m a 32-year-old man from Finland, and I’m about to share my story with all of you, no matter where you’re from or located. I thought long and hard about whether to do this or not. To be honest, I’m a little bit afraid of the Internet – which is ironic because I actually love it and its possibilities. But most of all, I was afraid of other people. People can be incredibly cruel and seemingly heartless online. But in the end, my thoughts matter just as much as each of yours.
First, I want to talk a bit about my work history. I have vocational papers from the construction field and worked for a few years as a specialized construction worker, installing elevators in apartment buildings that didn’t have them. Throughout my life, I’ve had several shorter work periods – you might call them summer jobs. I’ve delivered mail and Christmas hams, worked as a general worker at a camping area, served as a peace officer, and worked in warehouses. I also completed one year of service in the Finnish Defence Forces.

Health

Now comes the part I’m most scared of sharing because it’s deeply personal, and it might affect my hopefully upcoming career in technology and science – but I’m willing to take this leap of faith.
Around age 22-24, I began feeling depressed. At first, I thought it was normal depression and stress about life and the future. Then I lost my construction job and fell even further apart. But in January 2017, I felt a spark when I applied for computer engineering studies at a vocational college. To my surprise, I got in and started my studies in fall 2017. That summer, I remember being so happy about my success, thinking my depression was gone and I had a path to follow again. The first two months went fine, and I enjoyed being in college, but then it hit again – a huge wave of depression. I started struggling with school and slowly but surely fell behind. I began isolating myself and disconnecting from people in real life, reaching a point where I feared talking or interacting with others. Years went by as I taught myself different aspects of computer science and engineering, but I also spent considerable time playing online games – every human being needs interaction, and I found mine online. But I wasn’t happy, and depression and stress still weighed heavily on me.
In December 2020, it all fell apart. I hit psychosis and ended up hospitalized. It was the darkest time of my life, and I started to wonder: Was this it? Would I ever be able to work or study again? Though the circumstances of my psychosis were unique, as they are for everyone, it changed how my brain functions and made me unstable for a while. Thanks to my family, medical personnel, and others who contributed to my recovery, I was able to pull through these incredibly difficult times. Finally, in January 2024, I joined a vocational school to study software development, wanting to continue on my chosen path. Regarding diagnosis, I don’t have a definitive one yet – I’ve come to understand that neurological problems take time to identify. I’ll update with the correct diagnosis once I have one. The most important part is that I’m able to learn again.

Future

Whether you have health problems or not, having hopes for the future is crucial. For me, it’s getting back to college, receiving my degree, and pursuing my chosen career path. I’m going to apply to college in fall 2025 and hopefully start my studies in January 2026. Ideally, getting a job before starting my studies would be great, allowing me to study alongside work. Where do I see myself in five years? I hope to have a job, a degree, and to have consumed as much information as possible about programming, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence.
In the end, I want to say: I have no idea who I want to or will be when I grow up. I just know what I love, and I’m following the curved lines ahead of me.