Who's Larry Kagan?
Introduction
Living in Boca Raton, Florida, I'm a 34 year old man with a passion for the Internet. I enjoy riding my motorcycle, dining out, going on cruises, and trying new things. Although I earn my living as web developer, I also teach karate. I recently got into the hobby of flying remote controlled helicopters. You can see a few videos of my attempts on the video page.
The Early Years
I was born to Bernie & Sherry Kagan in 1974 in Brooklyn, New York. The first couple of years of my life were in Brooklyn. My parents then moved my sister Marni and I to Staten Island.
Staten Island
I spent most of my earlier years up until the age of 8 or so in Staten Island, New York. All that mattered to me at that point was playing with toys or in the snow. The only thing I had to worry about was making sure my mother didn't die before I could reach the cereal. But no worry, when I asked her what I would do if she were to die before I could reach it, she assured me she would be around for a while. Here in Staten Island is where I learned that toy airplanes that you sit on could not fly over stairs. I think that was my first memory of blood. I also learned how to ride a bike here. It was my sister's bike, white with a big ol' banana seat. With this bike, I learned that falling over onto a brick wall isn't the best way to stop the bike. Yep, that's my second memory of blood. Who would have figured that those geniuses that made the bike had built-in a stopping mechanism called breaks! By the way, I'll be happy to show anyone the scars on my head left by both of these events if you ask.
Pembroke Pines
Around 1982 or so, my parents moved Marni and I down here to Pembroke Pines, Florida. This is where I grew up. My hobbies then were fishing, freestyling (bike tricks), and martial arts. I spent a good deal of time studying martial arts and it effectively molded me to the person I am today.
The Later Years
Karate
Karate stuck with me just about until the end of high school. The style of martial art I took was called USA Goju. I studied for about 7 or 8 years and achieved the rank of shodan-ho (junior black belt). I was far from a well behaved teenager but without the values instilled in me by my parents and the martial arts, I may well have spent a good amount of time in jail.
High School
A child genius I wasn't. As a matter of fact, I wasn't a good student at all. I was too involved with the social aspect of life at that time. I wasn't part of any one group but got along with just about everyone, from the jocks to the geeks to the burn-outs. I attended Cooper City High School and graduated (barely with a 2.1 GPA) in 1992. While in High School, I started realizing I had some natural abilities working with computers. I was always the first student done with our projects in computer class. I think I did that on pupose so that I could help the girls with their work once mine was done. I also joined the Future Business Leaders of America club (FBLA), but this is just because I got to leave class once in a while. I went to a competition for computers while in this club and won. I could have gone to the state competition but It just seemed lame to me.
BCC
Broward Community College is where I started my education after high school. What a ride this was. I couldn't just slide by like I did in high school. I was actually placed on academic suspension for my poor grades. That's when it hit me, if I don't do well here, the rest of my life is probably going to suck. After my suspension was over, I hit school hardcore. For the rest of my semesters at BCC, I only earned A's. I graduated in 1996 (I think) with a GPA of 3.75 and with high honors! I also made it on the President's List for 3 consecutive terms as well as the National Dean's List. My father always told me "You go from one extreme to the next!" Well dad, you were right.
FIU
I transferred to Florida Internationl University to study Hospitality Administration. I had spent most of my earlier years working in restaurants. I really liked the rush and excitement of it all. To this day, I miss the rush. While studying at FIU, I was a regional manager for the Beverly Hill's Cafe. I was working full time and a full-time student. I was also supporting myself in my first apartment in Pembroke Pines. The long hours, working nights, weekend, and holidays made me reconsider my career choice. Enter the Internet Age. I quickly changed my major to Computer Science.
Now
Technology
I started my technology career sitting in the middle of a mall selling cable modems. Yes, it sucked, a lot. But it gave me time to study, practice and learn more about the Internet. I didn't even consider the exposure I got by working in the mall. That's where I met a guy who decided to hire me part time as a web developer. That's where my software development career began. I have since then earned a number of certifications (see my resume for more). I even started my own web development company, Superiocity, Inc..
Life
So now, I consider myself pretty successful. I have a great family, awesome pets (except an evil parakeet), a solid career, a nice little house, a cool motorcycle, and an SUV. So it seems like smooth sailing from here!
