Entries by Kayla Elkin

Championing Visibility for Trans Veterans

From a young age, Jennifer’s dream was to serve in the military and follow in the footsteps of their father. Despite knowing they would have to conceal their identity, Jennifer was motivated by the opportunity to gain job experience and save money for their transition. “I wanted to join the military, even though I’d have […]

The Instructor’s Perspective: A Passion for Science, Teaching, and Technology

To be a good teacher, one needs more than just relevant industry knowledge. The best instructors are driven, supportive, patient, and passionate about helping students apply their learning to their interests and goals. These descriptors and more have been used to describe Full-stack Evening & Weekend instructor Umar Ahmed Badami. “My favorite part of being […]

What to Expect When You’re Accepted to Coding Bootcamp

So, you’ve identified your preferred program in Part One. You completed the application coding challenges in Part Two and submitted your Coding Bootcamp application. Once accepted, you might wonder what next steps you should take to prepare for your coding journey.  Here is what you should expect after being admitted to a Code Platoon program: […]

Transition Overwatch and Code Platoon – Preparing Servicemembers for Software Engineering Apprenticeships

Code Platoon and Transition Overwatch work together to help active duty Servicemembers transition to technology careers via paid tech apprenticeships. The two nonprofit organizations are connecting Transition Overwatch’s program participants in need of technical training with Code Platoon’s military Coding Bootcamps. Gabriel Seda-Wilmarth and Samuel Son attend Code Platoon’s Full-stack Software Engineering Bootcamp to prepare […]

The Best Advice for Preparing for Coding Bootcamp

We get a lot of questions from beginner coders about how to get ready for Coding Bootcamp. So, we asked four students and alumni for some of their best tips on learning Javascript and preparing for a coding bootcamp application. Read on to learn how a military spouse, an Active Duty Servicemember, and two Veterans–all […]

Evening & Weekend Profile – Updating Experience

Tech may be stereotyped as a young person’s field, but it’s never too late to learn new skills, improve old ones, or even start a new tech career.  Everett Yeckley, an Army Veteran and recent Code Platoon graduate, has over four decades of experience in the military, and in IT work. He recently completed the […]

Launching a Tech Career with HelloFresh

When Kenneth Malley graduated Code Platoon he never imagined he would end up helping deliver delicious dinners to people around the world. Well, that’s exactly what he’s doing as a Software Engineer at HelloFresh, one of the leading meal kit providers in the world. We recently caught up with Kenneth, a 15 year Air Force […]

Sketching, Scope, and Stories: An Intro to Agile Development

Agile software development methodologies have become the norm in large tech companies. Self-managing Agile teams develop software incrementally to align with consumer needs. Agile is primarily a mindset and can be difficult to learn.  That’s why product strategist Judith Sol Dyess introduces Code Platoon students to Agile development principles and practical starting advice. Judith structures […]

How to Welcome Veterans to Your Tech Team

If your organization is looking for employees that are trained leaders, quick thinkers, and detailed problem-solvers, then Veterans would make a great addition to your tech teams.  But hiring and retaining Veterans isn’t as simple as deciding to do so. You may need to adapt everything from your hiring process to onboarding and promotion pathways […]