This afternoon Jared Siirila was recognized during the 44th Annual Key Volunteer of the Year & Governor’s Volunteer Service Awards Luncheon for volunteering with Code the Dream.
Jared has served as an instructor for multiple Code the Dream classes, giving diverse low-income students the opportunity to take their first steps toward a successful career in technology. He also served as a mentor, guiding students through coding their first real apps for local nonprofits serving our community. Going above and beyond, he originally volunteered to assist 2 hours per day, 3 times a week with one 8-week class but has instead remained involved with nearly nonstop classes for the last 18 months.
This has allowed Code the Dream to grow and provide opportunities to more students than we could have without him. Although the technology sector is booming, that boom is leaving out many, especially low-income black and Latino youth. Jared is a great example of how people within the established technology sector can share their experience and help students make the leap all the way from low-wage jobs to developing their own apps and eventually building a fulfilling, innovative career.
