Ater 10 weeks of intensive learning our full stack web development students are ready to graduate and start their careers with their new MEAN stack skills! We caught up with a couple of the 17 students in this cohort to ask them about their experience. At CodeCraft School we are privileged and excited to be part of helping our students, with such diverse backgrounds, create a better future by giving them the skills they need to build, develop, and enrich their own careers, and, consequently, their lives!

Charlotte Chalmer Taylor

Where are you from?

I was born and grew up in Rumson, NJ but have lived in California, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Australia.

What were you doing before attending CodeCraft?

In 2015 I graduated from Dickinson College with a Bachelor’s in Psychology. Post-graduation, I have been working odd jobs. I hit stride working in an upscale French restaurant that ran like a well-oiled machine, keeping me on my toes and requiring me to learn a plethora of new information about cuisine and wine. This was where I truly acknowledged that I excel under pressure and in ever-changing environments.

What lead you to pursue web development?

Learning to program has always been a top contender on my Life Bucket List. Over the years as I checked off items like skydiving and living abroad, programming crept up on said list. However, with experience only in basic HTML acquired during the MySpace era, my knowledge was extremely limited. Having found a passion in Psychology in college, I was able to satisfy my right-brain desires, but post-graduation, I was left wanting something different. Knowing that I am driven by challenges and excel under pressure, I decided to seek a more left-brain professional field that could provide this type of environment in which I could cultivate my aptitude toward learning while fulfilling my desire to learn to code.

What have you learned at CodeCraft?

I have actually calculated the hours logged in this bootcamp versus the hours logged in an upper-level college course. I found that within the ten weeks while at CodeCraft, we logged as many hours as an upper division class would in 4.75 years in college. If this doesn’t clarify how limited any response to this question would be, I am unsure what will! My short, simple response would be that we learned full MEAN-stack development.
However, what I have learned extends much further than that. One of the most valuable things that I have learned has been how to think like a programmer, regardless of the technology used. This is a skill that cannot be taught, but CodeCraft has created to opportunity and environment that has allowed me to begin to think differently about everything around me and approach problem solving in a more analytical (but also creative) way. I believe that this is something imperative to becoming a successful web developer and is incredibly beneficial when seeking development jobs that may use technologies that CodeCraft does not cover.

What are your post-graduation goals?

My immediate post-graduation career goal is to continue to reinforce the knowledge that I have acquired while at CodeCraft and continue to push myself as a developer. I hope to do this by working for a company that emphasizes mentorship, guiding me and supporting my continued education, quenching my thirst for knowledge and supporting my development as I forge my own path in web development!

What was your favorite part of your experience at CodeCraft?

Coming from a liberal arts education, I have greatly appreciated the overall experience of this new, intensive learning environment and have loved the diverse background from which my classmates and instructors came. Above everything else, this diversity created an unparalleled inclusive environment in which any devoted student could flourish. I was continually impressed with the instructors wealth of knowledge and their ability to remain engaged and humble when students became lost or confused. CodeCraft’s ability to find a balance between steadfast work and convivial camaraderie has has a great positive impact on my work as a programmer and my future direction goals.

What do you love most about programming/coding?

I have learned to love that the learning is never over with programming. I am drawn to the endless growth opportunities that this culture affords. Additionally, unlike many other fields with continual learning, results in programming are immediate. I have grown to love the sensation of seeing the immediate outcome of working code, an experience that validates the incredible frustration inherent to programming! This sense of accomplishment is far beyond any else that I have experienced, and coupled with the limitless learning opportunities and challenges of coding, I am excited at the glimpse that CodeCraft has facilitated into a field of fulfilling work.

What’s a fun fact about yourself?

I first acknowledged my ability to excel under pressure during my final weeks in college. As the apex of my psychology degree, I chose to conduct independent research on the psychology of gender and sexuality and popular culture’s influence on our perceptions of “queered sexuality” (anything that is not heterosexual, cisgendered expression). After overcoming many difficult and unforeseen obstacles, I completed my 60-page APA research thesis in a week and received honors.

Mike Olson

Where are you from?

Chicago, IL

What were you doing before attending CodeCraft?

Before Codecraft, I was living in Brooklyn NY and working as a headhunter for the pharmaceutical industry.

What lead you to pursue web development?

I’ve always been interested in outlets for creativity and, for me, web development is an extension of that. Having the ability to create full-stack web apps from scratch is an incredible opportunity to solve problems others cannot. It’s also a great excuse to play games and watch cat videos for a living.

What have you learned at CodeCraft?

At CodeCraft, I’ve learned the entirety of the snarf’s sandwich menu. I’ve also gained an understanding of programming concepts and how to approach new technologies in the future.

What are your post-graduation goals?

I’m really open to any opportunity that will utilize and refine my new skills. I want to continue to grow as a developer and learn more. A dream role for me would allow me to be creative in my work, so anything dealing with design or game development is high on my list.

What was your favorite part of your experience at CodeCraft?

The Hackathon was my favorite experience at CodeCraft. It was pretty incredible to see what we could create after such a short period of time.

What do you love most about programming/coding?

The technology is constantly evolving at a tremendous rate, which I believe is due to the supportive and collaborative nature of programmers. It’s great to be apart of an industry that puts so much focus on harmonious progression.

What’s a fun fact about yourself?

I wrote and starred in this video.

Kathryn Clarkson

Where are you from?

Denver, CO

What were you doing before attending CodeCraft?

Account management for a small company.

What lead you to pursue web development?

I have people in my life who are developers and through them I came to realize that this was something that I wanted to do.

What have you learned at CodeCraft?

The MEAN stack.

What are your post graduation career goals?

Get a job as a developer, ideally at a startup in Denver.

What was your favorite part of your experience at CodeCraft?

The hackathon. I thought it was going to be a horrible experience but it was actually the most fun part of the bootcamp.

What do you love most about programming/coding?

I love that I can up with an idea and then actually create it.

What’s a fun fact about yourself?

I grew up on a ranch in Texas.