Our Ruby on Rails students are back at work learning CSS and HTML in the second phase of their class, which focuses on web basics. We wrote about this class back in the fall – it’s our first remote-only class and has students from across the United States. I caught up with two of our students, Danielle Madry and Daniela Monti, and asked them about their experience so far.
Danielle Madry
Tell me about yourself! I am from Kinston, North Carolina. I am a 29-year-old stay-at-home mom who loves to learn, spend time with my tribe, and create projects with my new-found programming skills. I am a Renaissance woman – I know a little about everything. It usually works in my favor, but sometimes it leaves work unfinished. But it is still a part of me that I embrace fully.
What are you most proud of during the Ruby on Rails course so far? Staying consistent and not giving up when life and learning got tough.
What do you think makes Code the Dream unique? Code The Dream provides a secure and solid future into tech through learning not only for me, but for generations of other learners that are in need.
What podcasts have you been listening to recently? I have been loving Code Newbies and Breaking into Startups.
Who is your hero? My mother is my hero because I have seen her go through so much and never give up. She always finds a way to make it work. She would literally have nothing and somehow, someway find a way to make sure we were good. I aspire to resilient like her.
Daniela Monti
Tell me about yourself! I am from Long Island, NY. I currently work at a non-profit that supports adults with disabilities. It was not something I ever expected to be doing, but I have grown a lot in the five years that I have been here. In my free time, I enjoy reading, doing photography, hand lettering, working out, and being outside (especially at the beach!).
What do you think makes Code the Dream unique? I love that Code the Dream is FREE, but still offers guidance and a curriculum. It would have been very difficult for me to spend the time and money going back to school, so I wanted to learn to program in a less traditional manner. There are plenty of “free” ways to learn programming without schooling, but then you don’t necessarily have the accountability or guidance, which I knew I would need. I also love that we work in small groups with a mentor who works in the industry. I am not only learning how to code, but I am also so making professional connections which I hope will make finding a job in the future much easier.
What food is overrated? Bacon is overrated. And why is it in EVERYTHING?
What’s something that surprises people about you? People are definitely surprised to learn I went to a professional wrestling school for three years (and it was how I met my boyfriend!).
Who is your hero? It may be a bit cliché to say that my parents are my heroes, but now that I am older I don’t know how they did all that they did for my siblings and me while we were growing up. Especially as a new homeowner, I can’t fathom how my mom found the time and energy to do all that she did (home-cooked meals every night!). My Dad has also been a volunteer firefighter for the past 30+ years.