Codesmith’s Friendly Fellows: Michael Laythe

All of the students in the Codesmith program are impressive in their own right. Some have extensive technical backgrounds, others come from top universities. But the unique story of Michael Laythe shows that the most impressive part of his background is his unending passion either in pursuing a career in software engineering or helping other students succeed.

“I started at the University of Arizona in the Fall of 2015 and for the longest time I was totally fine with following the default path in life. But I decided that I can get where I want to go without society guiding me there, so I decided at looking at alternative options for coding.”

After completing the course as one of our most beloved graduates, Michael (also known as ‘Young Mike’ by his peers) decided to apply to the Codesmith fellow program. He explains this is because of all the help he received from fellows when he was going through the program and how he wanted to be able to provide that same care and support to others that were just starting their Codesmith journey.

“The previous fellows were a constantly reassuring voice during times I questioned my ability. The kind of dedication and care they showed for each student is why the role of a fellow is so fundamental for the whole experience.”

That kind of dedication doesn’t come to all people easily, but it’s a common trait you’ll find in all of the Codesmith fellows as they strive to help every student succeed, and find their reward in being able to help others thrive in the areas that they know are most difficult.

“I want to impact every single Codesmith student in an unforgettable way. Whether that be through reassuring them that they can do whatever it is that they need to do, providing a huge smile at any and all times, and just being there for them during their time here.”