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 say about him — below.
Tell us about yourself!
I was previously a performing artist and am now a developer with 5 years experience in both startup and enterprise environments. I started coding by volunteering at a meditation center, by updating email newsletters, which later increased in scope over time. I got more curious to learn about the applications I used the more I volunteered. I self-taught and then went to a bootcamp.
Why did you get involved in CTD?
I wanted to spend time in a position to improve my presentation skills, and heard about CTD from a Microsoft Copilot search.
What has been meaningful about your time with CTD?
The human connection. The internet has many places to learn to code, but CTD is one of few that offers a very accessible and friendly community of both eager students and mentors to walk the path of fundamentals into more complex concepts
I’m excited to keep volunteering and seeing the priorities of CTD adjust to the changing climate of the tech market
Several students shared about why they appreciate Pavel.
“Pavel’s explanations are clear, precise, and easy to understand. He is incredibly kind, approachable, and overall an excellent mentor.”
— Anamaria, React.js student
“I appreciated the way Pavel took the time to help me critically think in different ways about the code I wrote.
— Valerie, Intro to Programming student
“Thank you Pavel for your feedback and extra support. You provide exactly what I need to learn more each day.”
— Henry, React.js student
Learn more about volunteering at codethedream.org/volunteer.
