Stories from the Hackery

Andrea Nichole graduated with Web Development Cohort 46.

I ventured into this field of web development, with a background in jazz vocal performance, classical piano performance, and as music teacher of many years. My interest in web development stemmed greatly from the need of building my own website for my music career (and never being satisfied with the “status quo” website templates); also, I saw a glaring gap in private music teachers and music organizations having a functional up to date website. Often times I would tell myself, “You should figure out how to do this…” but then scoff at the idea. When I finally succumbed to my intuition pulling me to this path, I started to dabble on my own with coding classes online and found myself very intrigued. From that moment, I decided to give coding my best effort by attending a coding bootcamp. That decision led me to NSS. Several friends and former colleagues of mine attended NSS and spoke highly of the program. I have gathered hands on knowledge and training in many different coding languages at NSS, such as: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React, Python, SQL, and Django. I am excited to begin my career as a professional junior web developer and will be graduating from NSS on June 25th, 2021. I love to learn and am excited to continue this journey as a professional web developer.

Emily Centko graduated with Web Development Cohort 46.

With an educational background in English, language, and writing, upon moving to Nashville, I began working in customer experience for e-commerce and tech companies. I developed an interest in the user experience surrounding technology—it allowed me to bolster my problem-solving and communication skills, and eventually, led me to coding. I took part in a 3-week jumpstart course at Nashville Software School to test the waters, and I immediately dove into the opportunity to enroll in their 6-month full-stack bootcamp. My career goal is to help build a product that makes a positive impact. I’m eager to learn, not afraid to ask questions, and I'm excited to find a role that enables me to constantly learn, grow, and creatively tackle problems. I've been on the search for a career I love, and I felt right at home in the world of software development.

Harlin Sanchez graduated with Web Development Cohort 46.

I've always been fascinated by technology. This fascination is what drove me to major in Computer Science at MTSU, and eventually took me to NSS. Always learning, always improving, always as passionate about it all as ever.

Brittney Potts graduated with Web Development Cohort 46.

Prior to beginning my journey in software development, I was a General Manager in the restaurant industry. Being the GM taught me skills such as the ability to work in a high stress environment, working in a team environment, and customer service. While I enjoyed my job, it was not my passion. After talking to a friend about what I did enjoy about my job, he pointed me in the direction of software development. Ever since I started on the road to becoming a software developer, I have found a passion for creating new apps, solving problems, and watching an app all come together! I love that it allows me to use my problem solving mind set, while also challenging me to keep learning. I am looking forward to continue growing my knowledge in the tech field!

Alex Prieu graduated with Web Development Cohort 46.

Growing up I spent my days hiking trails and exploring parks. Biology always came naturally for me and my love for learning about nature never ended. After college I worked as both a Park Ranger and as a Zookeeper. In both positions I often found myself being more technologically interested than my colleagues and was usually the one to fix old electronics and troubleshoot new equipment. I welcomed the idea of sensors and programs that could automate the work for us and we could monitor those systems adjusting parameters to make them work as efficiently as possible. This interest followed me everywhere, I taught myself about most of what I know about computers in my free time and love making tech projects at home too. When I started grabbing code from Github and learning that I could write code too, I knew then that I wanted to make a career switch. My goal as a Software Developer is to design applications for the future and to increase the efficiency in our lives both time and energy, while mitigating the loss of our natural resources.

Phillip Phan graduated with Web Development Cohort 46.

My passion lies in creating solutions based on personal and business needs through data analysis, developmental research, and a constant strive to learn more. I enjoy the challenges of developing novel ideas into real-world applications. My colleagues would describe me as a driven, resourceful individual with a positive, proactive attitude when faced with adversity. I have strong technical skills and an academic background in software development as well as in Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology.

Nathan Hamilton graduated with Web Development Cohort 46.

A world traveler, business manager, and software developer with an insatiable intellectual curiosity, passion for problem solving, as well as highly detail oriented. My goal is to utilize my diverse experiences in business as a software developer and continue to learn new ways in which software development can solve real world problems.

Nicole Tatum graduated with Web Development Cohort 46.

Before I entered the world of Software Development I spent time dabbling in the arts and pursuing potential careers while working in the food/bev industry. I took a jumpstart course in 2019 and in 2020 I finally took the plunge and enrolled at NSS. My short time at NSS has helped me grow as an individual and student, and I am so excited to continue to grow and see where this path takes me.

Cheo Roman graduated with Web Development Cohort 46.

Hi My name is Cheo. I'm a Nashville-based developer. I have been programming as a hobby on/off for years. I started with C++ in highschool and dabbled with a bit of other languages since then. In colelge, I used Prolog for a computational linguistics course where we drove robotic cars using our voice. Due to health reasons after graduating, I could no longer do Peace Corp on medical grounds, so I continued learning at a local community college and state school. Doing so taught me to plan, build, and automate tools which eased my workload in the transportation/logistics/freight shipping industries. It was not until I was laid off in December of 20200, that I decided to return from my hobby hiatus and enrolled at the Nashville Software School. NSS reinforced my skillset and taught me to use the latest technologies. In my free time I like to catch up on (computational) linguistics, explore, and volunteer, particularly with the homeless. I look forward to collaborating with you on future endeavors.

Blu Sanders graduated with Web Development Cohort 46.

After a year of change, I find myself with a diverse group of friends, diving into a big new world, and yet in some ways for me, back into an old one. I began my tech journey out of college, survived the 2001 bubble, lived a world of music for twenty years, and am now building on that original foundation with new skills and fresh eyes.