Well, ultimately we are born a more or less clean slate neurologically speaking. Maybe slightly predisposed one way or another depending on genes and early environmental factors prebirth. But largely the pathways will be formed by positive and negative experiences gained from then on and perhaps altered due to any traumatic brain injuries. I believe the reason we experience consciousness is to be an almost sort of debug output of why we are picking the choices we are. A way to see the process play out in slow motion in our mind to then be able to make small adjustments to if the outcome was not a fully desirable one. A sort of output monitoring capable system organically developed.

Free will then more or less comes down to how quantum superpositioning ends up working out. If truly the wave is not collapsed and exists in infinite positions at once until needed then free will can easily exist as we perceive it. Of course, if free will doesn't exist then that, on the surface, calls into question the purpose of consciousness but in reality it doesn't since if free will doesn't exist then we are all doing exactly as prescribed from the dawning of the big bang and everything we perceive as a choice is a lie such as me typing this right now you reading it.