Alumni Spotlight: Devin Leyba-Brown talks life as a software developer at Expedia

Meet Coast Guard veteran and Green River College graduate Devin Leyba-Brown. After completing his bachelor’s degree in Software Development, Devin joined Expedia as a software developer. In the Q & A below, he talks about this role and offers career tips for college students who are similarly aiming at breaking into tech.

First off, what led you to Green River’s Software Development program?

DEVIN: I discovered Green River while searching online for a software degree that seemed like a good fit. I liked that the program was project focused and not too heavy on theory.

What is your job title at Expedia? And can you tell us a little bit of the kinds of projects you are working on?

DEVIN: My title is Software Developer 1. I am on a backend team. My team supports API’s used for hotel pricing and inventory selection. I regularly use continuous integration tools, monitoring tools, and have had to become proficient in monitoring cloud release processes.

What is the culture at Expedia like?

DEVIN: Expedia promotes a great work life balance. They regularly have events where employees can come together and network. They also have multiple professional groups that you can join and contribute to.

Do you have any tips for college students on how to be successful academically and overcome barriers to prepare for the world of work?

DEVIN: My biggest thing is consistency. Study every day for a set time. Reach out to tutors on subjects that you find challenging. Use online learning platforms to study up in areas that you are deficient. Do your best to make it fun. I enjoyed using coding challenge platforms, like HackerRank or LeetCode, so I could study and have fun while doing it.

Learn more about Green River College’s Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) in Software Development by visiting www.greenriver.edu/software.