Emerging Digital Academy is North Dakota’s first ever full stack software development training program. Founded by Emerging Prairie, EDA was created to address the growing demand for skilled software developers in North Dakota. Since its creation, EDA has had graduates go on to work for many recognizable companies but many have also gone on to be founders of their own businesses.
Liz Campbell, Director of Organizational Development at Emerging Prairie and former Head of Student Life for EDA, shares “This EDA cohort is exceptional! Not only do they know the technical skills, they also have an incredible focus on team, professional development, and want to engage in the tech community. They are driven to succeed and motivated to keep learning!”
The Fortran Cohort will be speaking at startupBREW on Wednesday, March 2nd, and sharing their experiences while in EDA, and their future aspirations upon completion of the program. Until then, you can get to know more about each student below.
Jared Kroke – West Fargo, North Dakota
Jared studied Electrical Engineering at NDSU for a few years and worked a variety of jobs before finding EDA, including a number of summers at Osgood Public Golf Course as a groundskeeper.
“I feel very hopeful and excited for my future as a Software Engineer and the work I will be doing on my solo and client projects in the coming weeks. I am grateful for finding my purpose in life and can’t wait to see what my future holds!”
Jason Henrickson – Barnesville, Minnesota
Jason attended college at MSUM majoring in Computer Science/Computer Information Systems and minoring in Computer I.T. He ended up leaving during covid as he did not like online classes and was not learning to the best of his ability. He found EDA through a friend and after doing a little research on what it was and how the program worked. He ended up applying and being accepted shortly after.
“I am looking forward to joining the workforce as a software engineer, whether that means continuing work in full-stack or branching outward into other areas of the field.”
Hassan Nur – Seattle, Washington
Hassan emigrated to America in 2004 with his family, following his parents leaving their home country in 1993 due to a civil war that broke out.
“My parents had to sacrifice massively for us to have a better life. My reason for being at EDA is equipping myself with the knowledge that I one day will use to make my country a better place and provide for my family.”
Nick Zahnow – Fargo, North Dakota
Prior to attending EDA, Nick was a product manager at Bushel, and looks forward to software development as a means to improve the lives of customers and users.
“EDA has been a fantastic learning experience, and I really enjoy the collaborative atmosphere working with my cohort!”
Bryant Nupdal – Hallock, Minnesota
Bryant loved technology for as long as he can remember. Throughout middle school and high school he took part in First Lego league and BEST robotics. After graduating high school, he moved to Fargo and began college at NDSU for computer engineering. He attended NDSU for a year and a half before continuing his education at M State for Computer Programming.
“At M State I really developed my passion for programming, but I was really looking for something more fast-paced and challenging. Ultimately, that is when I found EDA.”
To learn more about Emerging Digital Academy and to apply for the next cohort, visit their website here.
