Now this is a story all about how my life got flipped turned upside down…
According to Wikipedia, a Coding Bootcamp “is a short (usually 8- to 12-week) program offered by a private company that teaches students computer programming in a short period of time.” Course Report found that as of the summer of 2017, there are roughly 100 coding bootcamps, or code schools, across more than 65 cities in the United States, producing around 23,000 graduates a year. Computer Programming and Information Technology are the fastest growing industries in the United States.
What’s with all the facts and numbers? Despite all of the above information, a lot of people still don’t fully comprehend what a Code School or Coding Bootcamp is, and how it can prepare you for a well paying job, or help you achieve a better quality of life. It was my job to inform those people for roughly a year. To date, the best job I’ve had, was working in Student Engagement at The Iron Yard Tampa Bay campus. We were the only immersive code school in our community, serving over 3 million people in the surrounding areas, and changing the lives of students across the state. Unfortunately, the company closed prematurely.
This is where it got interesting.
It was a rough 2017. Within the span of 6 months, my life literally was flipped upside down. The company closure resulted in my being laid off, I went through some major personal changes, a hurricane hit my hometown and left me (and the majority of the community) without power for a week, my bike got stolen, my car was broken into, and finally, I surrendered and moved in with my incredibly loving and supportive parents. Through this series of events, I felt as though I’d lost everything. Of course, I didn’t lose what was most important, my family, friends, or life. But I did have to let go of my source of income, my home, and my independence. It left me feeling stripped down, and questioning what I wanted to do with my life.
On the bright side (and there’s always a bright side), through this experience I was finally able to realize a dream I’d been suppressing for the last year. To not just work in code education, and guide students through their code school experience, but to actually do it myself. Take on my alter-ego, devHolly, and learn to code.
I researched the schools that offered the type of program I was looking for: short-term, full-stack web development, in my price range, and in a walkable (read: fun) city. I applied and was accepted to 4 programs, and narrowed my final choice down to Coding Dojo, in Chicago, where I will take on 3 full-stacks, including Python, Mean, and C#/.NET core.
In exactly one week, I begin my own journey through this intensive 14 week code school, and I feel all the feels. I’m excited, nervous, anxious, giddy, and in disbelief. I’m not sure if this Florida born/Florida raised girl is in for a bigger surprise with the weather in the Windy City, or the boot camp itself. I’ll be using Medium as a way to update friends, family, and lurkers on my experience and answer any questions anyone may have about the process. I feel I bring a unique view to the experience, as I’ve been on the administration side and have seen everything students go through during the program; now I will be the student.
If you’re interested, drop me a line! I look forward to keeping you all up to date with a recap of each week.
P.s. More pictures below because I loved this team.
