Meet Ian, one of 13 students in the first cohort at Emerging Digital Academy (EDA).
Born and raised in the Fargo-Moorhead area, Ian has lived here all his life and has a fondness for the Red River Valley. Watching movies, reading, and playing video games are just a few of his passions. He’s also quite the space nut; he can answer just any question you have about rockets, black holes, and space travel!
Prior to being a student at EDA, Ian spent a few semesters in college pursuing a computer science degree. Eventually, he dropped out because he found that he was interested in a practice that was more hands-on. He joined the workforce where he held several different roles in the manufacturing industry: a welder, a machinist, a fabricator, an inspector, and more. During that time, Ian often noticed problems that could be solved by programming, but he lacked the experience and knowledge to solve them himself.
So for a long time, Ian wanted to get into the software industry; however, he wasn’t sure where to start. EDA represented a path for gaining both knowledge and confidence as well as opening up opportunities through contacts with local programming companies.
WHY EDA?
“I chose EDA over other options because it’s based right here in Fargo and is focused on improving the development industry in the FM area,” Ian shared. “There are other online bootcamps out there that I could have attended, but having staff and classmates that are in the area makes it a lot easier to build professional relationships that will probably last for a long time. The coronavirus has complicated things, but it’s nice to know that I could bump into a classmate at the store or end up working with one of them after the class is finished.”
Ian hopes to come out of the program with a solid grasp on JavaScript, understand the development workflow, and gain some connections in the Fargo development community.
“I’m most looking forward to the client development project. I think it will be interesting to see what problem they would like to have solved, and then be able to come up with a solution for them. Getting that experience will be incredibly valuable,” stated Ian.
After graduation, Ian would like a career working in backend development for a local company. Finding a company that is supportive of him continuing his education while working is important for him. He’s heard great things about lots of local companies, showed interest in working somewhere in town.
Have a story similar to Ian’s? Learn how you can create a new career at Emerging Digital Academy.
