Last night, the AIM Institute held a virtual ceremony for students graduating from AIM Code School’s accredited courses, including Full Stack Java and Foundations of Web Development classes and the fourth module of the Callers to Coders program (a custom corporate training partnership developed between Physicians Mutual and the AIM Institute).
A diverse cohort of 14 students graduated, including six Physicians Mutual call center employees currently developing coding skills as part of the Callers to Coders program, and a current high school student who balanced her Code School coursework with her regular homework. All classes had been held virtually.
Hosted by AIM Code School Director Emily Matis, the ceremony featured congratulatory words from instructors and members of Omaha’s tech talent community who emphasized the importance of the graduates’ accomplishments.
“I couldn’t be prouder of where they are, who they are, and where they’re going,” said AIM Code School instructor Vanessa Kasun, who taught a Foundations of Web Development course.
Full Stack Java instructor Jordi Becceril—who also works as a technical specialist for Mutual of Omaha and is himself a graduate of AIM Code School—echoed Kasun’s sentiments.
“Sometimes the steep learning curve is hard to get over, but you just have to stick with it,” Becerril said.
Matt Payne, describing himself as “a longtime Omaha guy” who has worked full-time as a programmer since 1988, the attended the graduation to show his support for the latest crop of tech talent. Payne frequently blogs about coding on his website and was a recipient of an AIM Innovator of the Year award in 2001.
“The world needs more computer engineers, software engineers, software developers, whatever you want to call us,” Payne said. “I think it’s great that people can get into the field without putting down the money for a four-year degree.”
At the end of the ceremony, students had the opportunity to share some insight about their experiences in class. A recurring theme: instructors were crucial for helping students overcome roadblocks.
“I was not a fan of Eclipse,” said Full Stack Java graduate Craig Pounds, referring to the integrated development environment often used to build projects in Java. “Jordi got me over it. Now I love Eclipse.”
Congratulations to the most recent cohort of AIM Code School graduates!
Celebrating Graduates:
- Jesse Butterfield (Foundations of Web Development)
- Chris Smith (Foundations of Web Development)
- Craig Pounds (Full Stack Java)
- Zach Gearhart (Full Stack Java)
- Yolanda Rivers (Full Stack Java)
- Yves Quiah (Foundations of Web Development)
- Zane Harris (Foundations of Web Development)
- Natalie Ryan (Foundations of Web Development)
- Alex Mares (Foundations of Web Development – Callers to Coders)
- Cat Wilber (Foundations of Web Development – Callers to Coders)
- Charley Greenfield (Foundations of Web Development – Callers to Coders)
- Nicole Perry (Foundations of Web Development – Callers to Coders)
- Marissa Homan (Foundations of Web Development – Callers to Coders)
- Jasmine Henry (Foundations of Web Development – Callers to Coder)
Finally, AIM Code School wishes to acknowledge the valuable contributions of partner organizations Physicians Mutual, Urban League of Nebraska, Ralston Public Schools and Heartland Workforce Solutions.
Interested in learning more about AIM Code School? Contact a Tech Navigator today.