Volunteers at Code the Dream wear a lot of hats – class mentors, assignment reviewers, project coaches in CTD Labs, and Skill-IT series leaders, to name a few. Our program is possible because of their dedication.
Our volunteer of the month for August 2022, Roy Mosby, a volunteer who has gone beyond the typical involvement of volunteers. Roy, who currently works as a software developer for Arcweb Technologies, is a mentor in our summer 2022 React class and plans to mentor again in our fall React course. Roy has also become involved in our class planning team, giving valuable feedback on our class processes and creating a plan for issue reporting in CTD assignments.
Roy recently shared about their volunteer experience with Code the Dream.
Tell us a little about yourself.
I am a military retiree with 16 years in Army communications. For the final three years I managed my command’s intranet portals. Only a portion of that time was spent customizing web pages, but it was enough to entrance me with the potential of web technologies. I took up a similar position as a military contractor after retiring. My time there solidified my resolve to pursue web development as a second career.
When my family was financially stable enough, I quit my job and signed up for a full-stack bootcamp. After six month’s full-time learning then time on the job hunt, I landed my dream job! I’m currently a software developer with Arcweb Technologies and could not be more thrilled.
Why did you get involved with Code the Dream?
Aside from military, coding is the most challenging thing that I have taken on. I would not have succeeded without a lot of help and support along the way. My wife and son believed in me. I have had several outstanding mentors and patient teachers that have been there to answer my many questions. I was lucky to have a support system and room to grow into a new career. Even though the hours that I put in were long and often frustrating, I owe my success to others. I want to pay that forward.
What has been meaningful about your experience with Code the Dream?
It’s so satisfying to witness students have that “AHA!” moment when things clicked. In the short several months here, I’ve seen this happen more than once. Volunteer mentors have plenty of leeway to focus on points that we find important during our mentor sessions. The staff are also very receptive to feedback about the curriculum. Ultimately, I am delighted that I can use my experience to elevate others so that they can pursue their dreams.
Several of Roy’s students thanked him for his work at Code the Dream.
Roy is awesome. He explains things so you can understand and he is very knowledgable. I love his problem-solving skills and how he paints a picture of being a real-life developer, including the issues you may run into and how to solve them.
George O., React student
I know that I can ask Roy questions without hesitation because he is very friendly and has a calm personality.
Nuriye A., React student
Roy has been an essential part of our most recent class improvements that help ensure students completely new to the field will be prepared to succeed in our programs.
Mary Alice Moore, CTD Class Coordinator