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Code the Dream

At Code the Dream, we envision a world in which tech innovation comes from all of us and benefits all of us.

Amanda Hockmuth

Code the Dream students and mentor

The Holistic Software Engineer: Why A Non-Linear Path is the Future of Tech

Oct 22, 2025
In the rapidly changing world of technology, a lingering myth still circulates in HR offices and C-suites from a bygone era: the only path to becoming a world-class software engineer is a straight, uninterrupted line through a computer science degree to a traditional corporate tech company. We fundamentally disagree.

The Holistic Software Engineer: Why A Non-Linear Path is the Future of Tech

by Amanda Hockmuth

Code the Dream students and mentor

In the rapidly changing world of technology, a lingering myth still circulates in HR offices and C-suites from a bygone era: the only path to becoming a world-class software engineer is a straight, uninterrupted line through a computer science degree to a traditional corporate tech company. We fundamentally disagree.

Coders looking at a screen together.

CTD Learns Curriculum Gets an Upgrade

Sep 4, 2025
If you’re just getting started in tech, it can feel overwhelming. Our Classes Team at Code the Dream understands that the decisions you make about your education now will impact your career trajectory—and we are here to help! Introducing New Career Pathways Starting in 2026, CTD students will enjoy a newly upgraded and streamlined learning […]

CTD Learns Curriculum Gets an Upgrade

by Alex Rodriguez

Coders looking at a screen together.

If you’re just getting started in tech, it can feel overwhelming. Our Classes Team at Code the Dream understands that the decisions you make about your education now will impact your career trajectory—and we are here to help! Introducing New Career Pathways Starting in 2026, CTD students will enjoy a newly upgraded and streamlined learning […]

Find Where You Can Use Your Joy: 4 Universal Pride Month Lessons on Community and Acceptance

Jun 24, 2025
Earlier this month, Code the Dream sat down with Sarah Chick, Site Director at NPower, to talk about belonging in tech. NPower, like CTD, is a national nonprofit organization that connects people from nontraditional backgrounds with opportunities in tech. NPower’s mission is to “empower young adults and military-connected individuals to thrive in the digital economy […]

Find Where You Can Use Your Joy: 4 Universal Pride Month Lessons on Community and Acceptance

by Alex Rodriguez

Earlier this month, Code the Dream sat down with Sarah Chick, Site Director at NPower, to talk about belonging in tech. NPower, like CTD, is a national nonprofit organization that connects people from nontraditional backgrounds with opportunities in tech. NPower’s mission is to “empower young adults and military-connected individuals to thrive in the digital economy […]

Senior Developer Cruz Nunez and daughter

Happy Father’s Day from Code the Dream

Jun 15, 2025
This Father’s Day, Code the Dream is celebrating dads! We pride ourselves on being a family-friendly organization. Many of our students are working dads, and our remote, part-time classes with supportive mentorship help busy parents find the time they need to learn. Our high-level curriculum is designed to teach the skills needed for a job […]

Happy Father’s Day from Code the Dream

by Alex Rodriguez

Senior Developer Cruz Nunez and daughter

This Father’s Day, Code the Dream is celebrating dads! We pride ourselves on being a family-friendly organization. Many of our students are working dads, and our remote, part-time classes with supportive mentorship help busy parents find the time they need to learn. Our high-level curriculum is designed to teach the skills needed for a job […]

Code the Dream logo

Three New Developers Join CTD Team

Jun 4, 2025
Code the Dream is excited to welcome three new Junior Developers to the Code the Dream team! KJ Loving, Oksana Stepanchuk, and Mohammad Rezaie joined Code the Dream in April, bringing their expertise and unique points of view to CTD Labs. Each of them answered a few questions about themselves and their paths to Code the […]

Three New Developers Join CTD Team

by Alex Rodriguez

Code the Dream logo

Code the Dream is excited to welcome three new Junior Developers to the Code the Dream team! KJ Loving, Oksana Stepanchuk, and Mohammad Rezaie joined Code the Dream in April, bringing their expertise and unique points of view to CTD Labs. Each of them answered a few questions about themselves and their paths to Code the […]

Code the Dream Welcomes Lenovo as Newest Tandem Apprentice Champion

Apr 30, 2025
For Triangle-based global tech giant Lenovo, building a more inclusive tech workforce isn’t just a lofty goal—it’s part of the company’s initiative to ensure the people behind their products represent the customers they serve. After spending several years as a Lenovo partner through their TransforME grant, Code the Dream is excited to announce that we […]

Code the Dream Welcomes Lenovo as Newest Tandem Apprentice Champion

by Alex Rodriguez

For Triangle-based global tech giant Lenovo, building a more inclusive tech workforce isn’t just a lofty goal—it’s part of the company’s initiative to ensure the people behind their products represent the customers they serve. After spending several years as a Lenovo partner through their TransforME grant, Code the Dream is excited to announce that we […]

Amy Sandoval

Tandem Apprenticeship Provides Path to Tech Job for CTD Alum

Apr 2, 2025
In 2021, Amy Sandoval was working in property management and considering taking out student loans to go back to school. She wasn’t sure what she wanted to do, but she knew it had to be engaging and challenging. “I’d worked in restaurants, I’d worked in retail, I was a property admin,” she said. “Every job […]

Tandem Apprenticeship Provides Path to Tech Job for CTD Alum

by Alex Rodriguez

Amy Sandoval

In 2021, Amy Sandoval was working in property management and considering taking out student loans to go back to school. She wasn’t sure what she wanted to do, but she knew it had to be engaging and challenging. “I’d worked in restaurants, I’d worked in retail, I was a property admin,” she said. “Every job […]

Screenshot of two mobile phones showing information about Medicaid and WIC

Code the Dream and partners launch online tool to help North Carolina families find financial support in minutes

Apr 1, 2025
Code the Dream, in partnership with national nonprofit MyFriendBen and NC 211, launched a benefits screener in North Carolina on April 1. MyFriendBen-NC is a one-stop online tool that helps North Carolinians find the benefits and tax credits they are likely eligible to receive. Programs include food assistance, health insurance, child care subsidies and more.  […]

Code the Dream and partners launch online tool to help North Carolina families find financial support in minutes

by Alex Rodriguez

Screenshot of two mobile phones showing information about Medicaid and WIC

Code the Dream, in partnership with national nonprofit MyFriendBen and NC 211, launched a benefits screener in North Carolina on April 1. MyFriendBen-NC is a one-stop online tool that helps North Carolinians find the benefits and tax credits they are likely eligible to receive. Programs include food assistance, health insurance, child care subsidies and more.  […]

Meet Pavel Machuca, Volunteer of the Month!

Mar 24, 2025
This March, our volunteer of the month is Pavel Machuca! Pavel went from performing arts to programming, and now mentors new coders at Code the Dream. Students describe Pavel as kind, clear, and thoughtful, and he says the human connection is what keeps him coming back. Read more about Pavel’s story — and what students […]

Meet Pavel Machuca, Volunteer of the Month!

by Alex Rodriguez

This March, our volunteer of the month is Pavel Machuca! Pavel went from performing arts to programming, and now mentors new coders at Code the Dream. Students describe Pavel as kind, clear, and thoughtful, and he says the human connection is what keeps him coming back. Read more about Pavel’s story — and what students […]

Why remote work works for us

Mar 19, 2025
Like so many other organizations, the sudden lockdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic changed the structure of our operations practically overnight. A few years prior, we had started our gradual shift from a North Carolina-focused nonprofit operating out of the Research Triangle to a national organization operating fully remotely. Once COVID hit, that transformation accelerated. Five […]

Why remote work works for us

by Alex Rodriguez

Like so many other organizations, the sudden lockdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic changed the structure of our operations practically overnight. A few years prior, we had started our gradual shift from a North Carolina-focused nonprofit operating out of the Research Triangle to a national organization operating fully remotely. Once COVID hit, that transformation accelerated. Five […]

Students at Marcy Lab in a classroom.

This Black History Month, meet some of the organizations bringing tech training to Black communities

Feb 26, 2025
Happy Black History Month from Code the Dream! This February, as we honor past and present Black innovators, we also look to the future. At Code the Dream, our mission is to open doors to jobs in the technology sector for people from historically marginalized communities. And in African American communities, the disparity is striking: […]

This Black History Month, meet some of the organizations bringing tech training to Black communities

by Alex Rodriguez

Students at Marcy Lab in a classroom.

Happy Black History Month from Code the Dream! This February, as we honor past and present Black innovators, we also look to the future. At Code the Dream, our mission is to open doors to jobs in the technology sector for people from historically marginalized communities. And in African American communities, the disparity is striking: […]

Meet Rogelio Camargo, CTD’s Volunteer of the Month

Feb 12, 2025
This February, our volunteer of the month is Rogelio Camargo! Rogelio, a software engineer at Vividly, has served as a mentor in our Intro and React classes, a practicum project lead, and now helps lead sessions for our Data Structures and Algorithms class in CTD Labs. Apprentices share that Rogelio is skilled at breaking down […]

Meet Rogelio Camargo, CTD’s Volunteer of the Month

by Alex Rodriguez

This February, our volunteer of the month is Rogelio Camargo! Rogelio, a software engineer at Vividly, has served as a mentor in our Intro and React classes, a practicum project lead, and now helps lead sessions for our Data Structures and Algorithms class in CTD Labs. Apprentices share that Rogelio is skilled at breaking down […]

Meet Anujkumarsinh Donvir, CTD’s Volunteer of the Month!

Jan 27, 2025
Each month, Code the Dream celebrates one of our incredible volunteers. This month, we’re excited to celebrate Anujkumarsinh Donvir, who joined CTD as a React group instructor in 2024. Students have shared that Anuj leads detailed, well-structured group sessions; they also are grateful that Anuj records his lessons, allowing them to return to those lessons […]

Meet Anujkumarsinh Donvir, CTD’s Volunteer of the Month!

by Alex Rodriguez

Each month, Code the Dream celebrates one of our incredible volunteers. This month, we’re excited to celebrate Anujkumarsinh Donvir, who joined CTD as a React group instructor in 2024. Students have shared that Anuj leads detailed, well-structured group sessions; they also are grateful that Anuj records his lessons, allowing them to return to those lessons […]

A Pharmacy Tech Finds Renewed Opportunity With a Global Leader in Data and AI

Dec 4, 2024
Irene Sanchez was a pharmacy tech hoping to make a career change in 2019, whenshe heard about Code the Dream (CTD) from a friend who was taking CTD’s freeclasses. “I had developed an interest in technology and programming and I wanted to pursue anew career away from customer service,” Sanchez says. “I heard about the […]

A Pharmacy Tech Finds Renewed Opportunity With a Global Leader in Data and AI

by Alex Rodriguez

Irene Sanchez was a pharmacy tech hoping to make a career change in 2019, whenshe heard about Code the Dream (CTD) from a friend who was taking CTD’s freeclasses. “I had developed an interest in technology and programming and I wanted to pursue anew career away from customer service,” Sanchez says. “I heard about the […]

Programming tips and tricks cover photo

Programming Tips & Tricks

Nov 27, 2024
March 25, 2025 March 18, 2025 March 11, 2025 March 4, 2025 February 25, 2025 February 18, 2025 February 11, 2025 February 4, 2025 January 28, 2025 January 14, 2025 January 7, 2025 December 17, 2024 December 10, 2024 December 3, 2024 November 26, 2024 November 19, 2024 November 12, 2024 November 5, 2024 October […]

Programming Tips & Tricks

by Alex Rodriguez

Programming tips and tricks cover photo

March 25, 2025 March 18, 2025 March 11, 2025 March 4, 2025 February 25, 2025 February 18, 2025 February 11, 2025 February 4, 2025 January 28, 2025 January 14, 2025 January 7, 2025 December 17, 2024 December 10, 2024 December 3, 2024 November 26, 2024 November 19, 2024 November 12, 2024 November 5, 2024 October […]

Vamos Outreach App highlighted at National Farmworker Law Conference

Nov 25, 2024
Shaya Lyon and Kate Borgen represented Code the Dream and our Vamos Outreach App at the National Farmworker Law Conference November 13-15 in Atlanta. The experience, Lyon says, was inspiring and motivating. “It was great to hear Vamos partners talk about how using Vamos has helped their organizations plan and track their outreach visits to […]

Vamos Outreach App highlighted at National Farmworker Law Conference

by Alex Rodriguez

Shaya Lyon and Kate Borgen represented Code the Dream and our Vamos Outreach App at the National Farmworker Law Conference November 13-15 in Atlanta. The experience, Lyon says, was inspiring and motivating. “It was great to hear Vamos partners talk about how using Vamos has helped their organizations plan and track their outreach visits to […]

Just Getting Started: 10th Anniversary Messages from Daisy, Dan, and Ramiro

Nov 15, 2024
In 2014, Dan Rearick contacted Ramiro Rodriguez about offering a free introductory software programming course to people from underserved communities. For Dan, the initial idea sprang from working alongside recent immigrants and refugees and “seeing over and over again how hard somebody could work without getting an opportunity.” For Ramiro, who conceived the program with […]

Just Getting Started: 10th Anniversary Messages from Daisy, Dan, and Ramiro

by Alex Rodriguez

In 2014, Dan Rearick contacted Ramiro Rodriguez about offering a free introductory software programming course to people from underserved communities. For Dan, the initial idea sprang from working alongside recent immigrants and refugees and “seeing over and over again how hard somebody could work without getting an opportunity.” For Ramiro, who conceived the program with […]

Meet Oksana Feterovskaya, CTD’s Volunteer of the Month!

Nov 14, 2024
CTD’s volunteers can serve as class mentors, lead small groups of students through our capstone practicum project, support apprentices in their career search, contribute to our curriculum, and serve in other areas as well. We could not do our work at this scale without them! Each month, we celebrate one volunteer who has made a […]

Meet Oksana Feterovskaya, CTD’s Volunteer of the Month!

by Alex Rodriguez

CTD’s volunteers can serve as class mentors, lead small groups of students through our capstone practicum project, support apprentices in their career search, contribute to our curriculum, and serve in other areas as well. We could not do our work at this scale without them! Each month, we celebrate one volunteer who has made a […]

Chastity Benton

Alumni Spotlight: Chastity Benton

Nov 7, 2024
When working in a lab for a pharmaceutical company started to feel like it was the wrong professional course, Chastity Benton changed direction. 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 […]

Alumni Spotlight: Chastity Benton

by Alex Rodriguez

Chastity Benton

When working in a lab for a pharmaceutical company started to feel like it was the wrong professional course, Chastity Benton changed direction. 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 […]

Code the Dream welcomes three new staff members

Nov 7, 2024
Code the Dream is proud to announce three new staff members: Product/Project Manager Shaya Lyon, Senior Public Benefits Analyst Louise Pocock, and Program Assistant Caitlin Gross. By way of introduction, each of them participated in a short Q&A to illustrate who they are and some — but not all! — of the reasons why they are such welcome additions.

Code the Dream welcomes three new staff members

by Alex Rodriguez

Code the Dream is proud to announce three new staff members: Product/Project Manager Shaya Lyon, Senior Public Benefits Analyst Louise Pocock, and Program Assistant Caitlin Gross. By way of introduction, each of them participated in a short Q&A to illustrate who they are and some — but not all! — of the reasons why they are such welcome additions.

Meet Joannes Figueroa, CTD’s Volunteer of the Month!

Oct 11, 2024
Each month, Code the Dream celebrates a volunteer who has made a unique contribution to our community. This month, we’re excited to celebrate Joannes Figueroa, who has volunteered as both a React class mentor and Full Stack Practicum Lead. Tell us about yourself! Hello, I’m Joannes. When I’m not in front of my computer, you’ll […]

Meet Joannes Figueroa, CTD’s Volunteer of the Month!

by Alex Rodriguez

Each month, Code the Dream celebrates a volunteer who has made a unique contribution to our community. This month, we’re excited to celebrate Joannes Figueroa, who has volunteered as both a React class mentor and Full Stack Practicum Lead. Tell us about yourself! Hello, I’m Joannes. When I’m not in front of my computer, you’ll […]

Meet Aipu Ameh, CTD’s Volunteer of the Month!

Sep 17, 2024
Each month, we’re excited to celebrate one of the many volunteers who help make our program possible. Code the Dream’s volunteer of the month for September 2024 is Aipu Ameh, a freelance web developer at ABA Creations. Aipu volunteered as a mentor in our most recent Intro to Programming class. She is great at putting […]

Meet Aipu Ameh, CTD’s Volunteer of the Month!

by Alex Rodriguez

Each month, we’re excited to celebrate one of the many volunteers who help make our program possible. Code the Dream’s volunteer of the month for September 2024 is Aipu Ameh, a freelance web developer at ABA Creations. Aipu volunteered as a mentor in our most recent Intro to Programming class. She is great at putting […]

Meet Rio Edwards, CTD’s Volunteer of the Month!

Jul 25, 2024
Each month, Code the Dream celebrates one volunteer who has made a special contribution to our community. We’re excited to celebrate Rio Edwards, a class mentor in our Intro to Programming and React.js classes. Students consistently praise Rio as dedicated, supportive, and a natural teacher. Thanks, Rio, for your commitment to our students! Tell us […]

Meet Rio Edwards, CTD’s Volunteer of the Month!

by Alex Rodriguez

Each month, Code the Dream celebrates one volunteer who has made a special contribution to our community. We’re excited to celebrate Rio Edwards, a class mentor in our Intro to Programming and React.js classes. Students consistently praise Rio as dedicated, supportive, and a natural teacher. Thanks, Rio, for your commitment to our students! Tell us […]

Meet Gina Castromonte, CTD’s Volunteer of the Month!

Jun 26, 2024
Each month, Code the Dream celebrates a volunteer who has made a unique impact to our community. This month, we’re excited to celebrate Gina Castromonte, a Software Engineer at SOMOS.tech and current Cohort Instructional Leader for our Node.js classes. As a Cohort Instructional Leader (CIL), Gina is the technical lead for our summer 2024 Node.js […]

Meet Gina Castromonte, CTD’s Volunteer of the Month!

by Alex Rodriguez

Each month, Code the Dream celebrates a volunteer who has made a unique impact to our community. This month, we’re excited to celebrate Gina Castromonte, a Software Engineer at SOMOS.tech and current Cohort Instructional Leader for our Node.js classes. As a Cohort Instructional Leader (CIL), Gina is the technical lead for our summer 2024 Node.js […]