10 Years, 10 Stories

In his first semester at Durham Tech Community College, Cruz Núñez was bussing tables and unsure about what would come next. As an undocumented student and DACA recipient, he knew he’d have to pay out-of-state tuition costs for any North Carolina college. A lifelong affinity for problem-solving and tech led him to Code the Dream’s earliest classes in 2014.

He did well and realized how much he enjoyed the work and Code the Dream Co-Executive Director Dan Rearick and CTO Ramiro Rodriguez did something that would become a hallmark of Code the Dream: They spotted someone who deserved a chance, and had faith in that person. Because the early version of CTD had limited classes, they sponsored  Núñez at another bootcamp, lent him a laptop, and eventually offered him a freelance gig. 

“The problem solving aspect is something that I could do all day,” Núñez says. “Sometimes I skip meals because I’m just deep in the trenches trying to figure something out. And eventually I got more and more responsibility, and started doing some mentoring. Ten years ago I was just worrying about how to get some kind of education that would lead to a decent job. Now I have a career that I really like.”

Now a Senior Developer and Mentor at Code the Dream — and an award winning tech innovator — Núñez says Code the Dream has been an important part of his life. “I was able to get my own place because of Code the Dream, I actually met my wife because she was a student at Code the Dream, and now we have a baby. I couldn’t have imagined any of this ten years ago.”

Jocelyn Casanova had good grades and planned to attend college and, eventually, law school. Her plans changed dramatically just before she graduated high school.

“I’m originally from Veracruz, Mexico,” Casanova says. “Finding out that I wasn’t from here the night before high school graduation was scary. I had everything planned out, or so I thought.”

After her mom spotted an ad for Code the Dream, Jocelyn took a 2015 Ruby on Rails class taught by Code the Dream Chief Technical Officer Ramiro Rodriguez.

“I’ve always liked to be creative and build things,” Casanova says. “Tech was something I was always around but I never had the time or money to learn about it. I thought that I was smart enough to code but that coding just wasn’t for me. Thankfully Code the Dream opened a window for me to peer into.”

Taking the class and attending Triangle Startup Week with her classmates exposed Casanova to the industry and its possibilities. Today, she is a Product Operations Manager with Pendo, where she started as a Technical Support engineer five years ago. She also chairs the Women of Pendo affinity group, and received her associates degree in business administration with a minor in accounting.

“Code the Dream opened the window I was able to look through and view the opportunities for my future career in tech.”

Fascinated by tech as a child in Honduras, Fernando Osorio would visit internet cafes and spend hours playing games on computers while tinkering with software programs. After high school, Osorto took a year off to work in construction, but eventually came to the conclusion that his true calling was elsewhere. So he started researching opportunities in tech and discovered programming. An email about Code the Dream’s free programming classes, then held in person in Raleigh, compelled him to apply. 

As part of Code the Dream’s second cohort of students in 2015, Osorto says the work was challenging but rewarding. 

“The biggest challenge for me was grasping programming concepts, such as object-oriented programming, loops, and structuring code,” Osorto remembers. “On a personal level, it was tough to cope with the overwhelming amount of new information at times. But in the end, CTD provided the necessary skills that allowed me to confidently navigate web development projects. I particularly remember working on an app aimed at helping Latino farmworkers find resources near their area. This project not only honed my coding abilities but also gave me a sense of purpose, knowing I was contributing to something meaningful.”

Now an Engineer for Identity and Access Management at Duke University, Osorto says that his time with Code the Dream has significantly impacted his life.

“The persistence required in programming tasks has translated into real-life situations. Now, when faced with challenges, I take the time to analyze them from different perspectives before offering solutions. And financially speaking, having a stable income has greatly benefited my family and me.”

Manuel Gonzalez has been interested in electronics since he was a kid. 

“Some of my earliest memories of tinkering with software were jailbreaking my iPod touch,” he says. “That involved getting root access to the device and installing questionable software. Fast forward to college, I managed to get a perfect score on my mid-term in my first programming class. That was a great indication that I could pursue this career further.”

Gonzalez heard about Code the Dream from his wife in 2017. She was working with Student Action with Farmworkers and passed along a Code the Dream presentation she’d seen. Gonzalez applied for classes the same day. The Code the Dream Learning experience was “nothing short of amazing,” he says. 

“From the very beginning, I could sense the passion and enthusiasm everyone had. In the classes, participants were eager to learn, the volunteers were patient and taught the material clearly. It allowed me an opportunity to grow my skills, in an inclusive environment. There was no fear of failing or asking the wrong question.”

Gonzalez says his time with Code the Dream had a profound impact.

“CTD changed my life dramatically,” he says. “With my job in tech I was able to pay off debt and purchase a home. It’s also opened up my network to so many great professionals. Now, I’m grateful to be serving on the board of directors for CTD and play a small part in advancing CTD goals.”

By his late 20s, Kwasi Yeboah realized that technology was the career path he wanted to pursue.

“I was actively searching for a way to learn programming but lacked the financial means and family support to follow a traditional educational path,” Yeboah says. “One night at midnight, after hours of searching on Google, I discovered Code the Dream.”

Code the Dream classes still required in-person attendance in 2018, and the hour-long commute was one of the challenging aspects of the program for Yeboah.

“Another challenge was prioritizing my studies,” he says. “To fully focus on the classes, I left my full-time job and took on two part-time roles.”

Yeboah credits Code the Dream’s supportive environment with helping him excel.

“I knew that learning programming with my limited background would be difficult, but the instructors were highly skilled and patient. At times, Ramiro would meet with me 30 minutes before class to review key concepts, which helped me stay on track. Thanks to their support and my own determination, I was able to make significant progress.”

Now a software engineer with Tangoe, Yeboah says that his tech career has significantly improved his ability to support his immediate and extended family. And the skills he learned in class and as a developer with CTD Labs were directly applicable to his current position, he says.

“The program introduced me to key aspects of the tech industry, including scrum methodology, agile development, and working on real-world projects. The transition from CTD to my career in tech was seamless, thanks to the practical experience and foundational knowledge I gained through the program.”

Peter Ntiamoah first developed an interest in technology as a college student, and earned a degree in computer science. After starting a family he decided to build out a more extensive skill set, but found himself hampered by student debt. 

“I studied the latest tech stacks and tried teaching myself mobile development but I hit a wall with the more complex topics,” Ntiamoah says. “And it seemed like there was no way to bridge the gap and get that understanding that wasn’t very costly. I thought there was nothing for me and I felt backed into a corner so I prayed about it. And one fateful day I saw a post on LinkedIn about Code the Dream, applied, was fortunate enough to get into a Ruby on Rails class in 2020. Not long after completing that, I got my first job as a software developer working with the Ruby on Rails tech stack.”

Peter has stayed close with his Code the Dream family by serving as a class mentor, and says he would encourage anyone who wants to make a career change and is interested in tech to look into CTD classes.

“I had a wonderful experience with Code the Dream, being in such a diverse, nurturing community that really fosters growth and development,” he says. “My message to other folks who might feel stuck and want to make a change but don’t really know how, is to look into CTD and don’t be afraid to take that step.”

Crystal Scott started to pursue a career in tech while she was incarcerated through The Last Mile, an organization working to break the cycle of incarceration by providing technical training and education to people in prison. Crystal secured a job with an accessibility company before her release, and became interested in coding and continued to pursue her interests by learning about WordPress and becoming a webmaster for her employer. Stymied by the cost of the coding bootcamps she came across, Crystal applied for Code the Dream’s free coding classes after someone from the Last Mile emailed her about them. 

“I reached out to Code the Dream because I was looking for something more structured,” she says. “An educational experience that would truly prepare me to build real-world projects and create a portfolio I could be proud of. Their Intro to Programming course offered exactly that, with a well-organized curriculum that went beyond the basics and into practical applications. And so I entered Code the Dream’s Intro to Programming class in 2021.”

Crystal says that her time with Code the Dream is one of the reasons she now holds multiple tech jobs. “The mentorship was invaluable, guiding me as I developed a portfolio site I felt confident showcasing to potential employers.”

Sherose Badruddin had a decent job, but felt that it was professionally and financially stagnant, an uncomfortable spot for an ambitious single mom. She had heard about Code the Dream from a chance meeting with Co-Executive Director Daisy Magnus Aryitey, but couldn’t take the classes until they became fully remote.

“What brought me to IT was the desire to be able to provide for my son and our future,” Badruddin says. “And I needed an intellectual challenge — I really appreciate that IT as a field allows people to grow their career without a ton of formal education.”

She started taking classes at Code the Dream in 2021 but the demands of parenting, a full-time job, and a health issue left her exhausted and feeling she had no option other than to give up. But, she says, Class Coordinator Mary Alice Moore didn’t give up on her. Motivated by Moore to try again, Badruddin started classes again and was able to thrive.

“When I was doing Intro to Javascript, I really benefited from the flexibility of the schedule, the flexibility of communication, the availability of the mentors. And I also feel like what carried me was connecting with people in class that were also there via untraditional pathways — there were other single parents, other career changers, other mid-life career changers. We supported each other. It was inherently a judgment free zone.  That made an immeasurable impact on my ability to stay engaged through all the work.”

Badruddin said that the supportive environment at Code the Dream emboldened her to apply for a job that she wasn’t sure she could get  — the job she has now.

Badruddin says that one of her most notable experiences at Code the Dream was the response she got from CTD staff and mentors after raising an issue about some problematic interactions she and her teammates experienced during a crucial point in their practicum. “They made sure that we were seen as equals and did not have to accept condescending ‘tech bro’ behaviors even though we felt like it was the norm and we should get used to it. Their response shattered our internalized belief that we will never be taken seriously and should expect poor treatment in the tech industry because we are women, women of color, moms, and newbies. So, their belief in the power of our diversity was real, actionable, and rad.”

Cariny Perez started to code in 2020, and got a job as a software engineer in 2021. But after she was laid off in 2022, she decided to polish her skills and applied for Code the Dream’s Node.js/Express class. 

In addition to skills training, Perez says she was looking for a community, mentorship, and a support system in her job search. Code the Dream gave her all three, she says.

“Throughout my journey to becoming a software engineer, mentorship made all the difference,” Perez says. “I always believed I had the potential, but it took the guidance and support from experienced mentors to unlock it. The 1-on-1 sessions I had through Code the Dream allowed me to grow in ways I hadn’t imagined. Having mentors who genuinely cared about my progress and were willing to meet around my schedule was invaluable, and it helped me turn potential into real skills that ultimately led to my current job.”

When working in a lab for a pharmaceutical company started to feel like it was the wrong professional direction, Chastity Benton changed course. She had some knowledge of coding and enrolled with G{Code} House, an organization whose mission — bridging the gap in opportunities for underrepresented communities in the tech industry — dovetails with Code the Dream’s. A presentation by CTD Co-Executive Director Daisy Magnus Aryitey led Benton to apply for CTD classes after G{Code} House.

Benton says “supportive” is the word she would use to sum up her CTD experience.

“The mentor meetings were huge for me,” Benton recalls. “If I finished my work early, the mentors were more than happy to help me with any side projects I was pursuing and they pushed me to strive for bigger and better things. It was thanks to their push and motivation that I built the necessary confidence to pursue my goals in tech.”

That confidence ultimately led to a position as a Cyber Risk Analyst at DHS. Regarding her current job, Benton says that Code the Dream’s “extensive learning plan and work prepared me to learn any new skill quickly and effectively.” 

“I learned how to google better, I learned how to troubleshoot better, and I learned that there is no shame in asking for help. These have all tremendously helped me in my role, which requires constant learning and self development.”