Congratulations Code to Success Graduates
Summer is typically a time for students to relax and enjoy leisure time away from the pressures of working hard in school. This was not the case, however, for the more than 50 students who woke up early every day for nine weeks to attend a Code to Success bootcamp sponsored by Web & Mobile Development at Bridgerland Technical College.
The bootcamp was offered free of charge to high-school age students, who were immersed in a full stack development track consisting of guided online lessons, hands-on projects, and networking opportunities. Utilizing the programming languages they were learning, including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and REACT, students built a time management and productivity tool used to schedule their day, set goals, track progress, and limit distractions.
The students who completed the Code to Success bootcamp were honored at a graduation ceremony at Bridgerland Technical College on August 14. Guest speaker Jerry Henley, CEO of Rubicon Capital, congratulated the graduates on their accomplishment and encouraged them to never quit when things get tough. “Do you know how many kids would be willing to get up every day for nine weeks during the summer? Not many. You are the top 10% and I am impressed with your initiative and drive.”
He went on to explain that the number one skill set that his company looks for when hiring new talent is the ability to understand technology. “I don’t think it matters what career field you go into, the skills you have learned will give you a certain edge above other candidates.”
Two Code to Success graduates, Abigail James and Julianne Hayden, will be attending 9th grade at Bear River High School this fall. Abigail had taken coding classes in high school and was interested in participating as soon as she saw the flyer. Julianne had never taken any coding classes but her friends encouraged her to attend so she did. “It was challenging, but not as hard as I thought it would be,” she beamed.
Both of the girls’ mothers admitted that before the graduation, they didn’t realize how rigorous the bootcamp would be, or how prestigious the skills they were learning happened to be. Abigail’s mom stated that she was extremely proud of her daughter and admired all of the graduates of Code to Success for their hard work and accomplishments. “It will be fun to see what they will do next, where these skills take them.”
Chuck Swann encouraged all Code to Success graduates to take advantage of the option to attend his program tuition-free during high school, and to apply for scholarships after graduating from high school to help them finish the certificate. He also stated that students can leave his program and go directly into the workforce, or transfer their certificate from Bridgerland Technical College toward 30 credits at USU.
“This is an amazing opportunity to save you a lot of time and money on your education, and give you a real head-start on your career! You have the ability to earn a very good salary, doing a job you love, while your friends are flipping burgers,” said Swann.
To learn more about Web & Mobile Development, become a donor for the Code to Success bootcamp or BTECH scholarship fund, or to inquire about next year’s bootcamp, contact Chuck Swann.
Click to download a letter from Chuck Swann: “What Do You Get from Code to Success?”
