At Code the Dream, we rely on dedicated volunteers to help us accomplish our mission of changing the face of the tech industry. We are especially thrilled when one of our graduates gives back by volunteering with our classes or projects. That is the story of our volunteer of the month, Shanna Murry, who finished a class with Code the Dream and is now helping other people achieve their dreams of becoming software developers.
Shanna first came to Code the Dream in March 2021 for one of our Ruby on Rails classes. Now, she works as a Software Engineer for Lob, a company based in San Francisco.
Shanna told us how much Code the Dream meant to her career development:
I was unemployed and struggling financially just a year and a half ago. I was referred to Code the Dream by a mentor and decided to take the Ruby on Rails class. I had looked at boot camps and they were all so expensive, it was out of my reach at the time. I thought is was so great that there was a program like Code the Dream available for free, and with a focus on helping open doors for underrepresented groups in tech. I love that Code the Dream takes things beyond just coding, they really help students access all the tools they need to be successful like financial literacy and interviewing workshops, for example. I really feel proud to be a part of this program.
Now that she is a software developer, Shanna is giving back by mentoring in CTD’s classes. She is currently mentoring in her third CTD class. Several of her students shared how valuable she has been as a mentor:
Shanna is an incredible mentor! She patiently helped me to understand concepts that I will use throughout my career. She is great at problem-solving, and she has a kindness and sense of humor that makes her fun to work with. She explains things in a way that helps me remember what she is describing. I really appreciate the many times she helped me throughout Intro to Programming — I couldn’t have done it without her!
Brittany H., Intro to Programming Student
Shanna is a great mentor. She’s there if you need her, and no matter what you’ll always leave her sessions knowing more tricks. She’s kind and you can see that she enjoys teaching others. I know that whoever consults her with a problem, she’ll try her best to help them understand how to solve the problem; I know programming has been difficult for me, but when I attended her sessions I left understanding every subject.
Cecilia R., Intro to Programming Student
We are so thankful for Shanna’s involvement in the CTD community!