How our Students Recreated the Careers in Code Website
We’re thrilled to have launched our new Careers in Code website, powered by GatsbyJS, built by two of our amazing Cohort 1 graduates, Kaitlyn Warboy and Kelly Corey! Read on to hear their inspiring stories, and learn how they built it.
Kaitlyn Warboy
Tell us a little bit about yourself
I am a full time mom, former teacher, and am currently a full-time web developer! I went through Careers in Code looking for a career change, and ended up with a complete lifestyle change — and I couldn’t be happier! I love to spend most of my free time with family, my boyfriend and my daughter, usually on some outdoor adventure.
How did you come to be a Careers in Code student?
I was completely unhappy with the career choice I had made. I needed a way to get by and raise my daughter, and quickly realized teaching just wasn’t for me. After some research and experimenting with different ideas (rediscovering what I’m good at, bad at, and really analyzing what I wanted for my future), I applied to Careers in Code. I didn’t expect to be accepted, but I can’t imagine where I’d be without the program. I grew so much professionally, learned so many new skills — coding and otherwise — and formed some amazing connections with people in the community.
What was your favorite part about coding the new website? Most challenging?
I think my favorite part of working on the new website was definitely finishing! Hear me out: it was SO satisfying to see the end result and to think wow, we built this. Like from the ground up. I loved learning a new framework. Gatsby was challenging but it was really neat to get to use it for the new website. I loved debugging and troubleshooting, and having some flexibility in design. Overall it was SO fun to work on this project and with the team! One of the most challenging parts was figuring out how to work on an actual project with a team. Scheduling and tackling different tasks was really difficult at first, but I learned a ton and I really think I got the hang of it. Overall, the experience was priceless and something I’m so proud and thankful to be a part of.
What are you most looking forward to in the Syracuse tech scene?
I’m definitely looking forward to the Virtual Hackathon coming up! This will be the first one I’ve really attended in full force, and I’m excited to hopefully join a group and continue building skills and friendships in the community. (If you haven’t signed up, do it!). I’m also really excited to see what the future holds for the tech community in Syracuse, and the future of Careers in Code — I’m looking forward to hopefully being a part of that again, on the other side of things ;)
What do you do outside of Hack Upstate?
I love to be outdoors, camp, attend concerts (a relatively new hobby for me), decorate at home, and spend time with family. I am currently working full time for Raymour & Flanigan and love it!
Kelly Corey
Tell us a little bit about yourself:
I’m a web developer who dabbles in podcasting and social media from time to time. I have a degree in Broadcasting-Mass Communications so I enjoy creating audio/visual components and combining those with my newfound love of code. After a recent major health scare, I’m looking to rebuild myself from the ground up. When I’m not in front of a computer (and we’re not in the middle of a global pandemic), I like visiting local coffee shops and adding to my endless to-read pile at the library.
How did you come to be a Careers in Code student?
Most of my jobs have involved some form of customer service, and while I have a lot of respect for people who can do that day in and day out, I knew it wasn’t the right fit for me. I’d been dabbling in freeCodeCamp and some other online learning sources but I wanted the formal structure of a class. My partner heard about CiC at a local tech meetup and suggested I submit an application. I thought it sounded like a great opportunity to pursue this field so I applied and got accepted! Graduating from the program has changed my life for the better and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking to change their career.
What was your favorite part about coding the new website? Most challenging?
My favorite part of coding the new website was implementing a new framework and being able to see how it improved the site overall. I also really enjoyed working with the team from start to finish! It was a delight to get to work on a project with people I genuinely like and I’m proud of it. The most challenging part was moving all of the data from the old site to the new site — I didn’t mind doing it, but sometimes my eyes would get tired from going back and forth between windows double-checking my work.
What are you most looking forward to in the Syracuse tech scene?
I’m interested in seeing how the Syracuse tech scene adapts now that all of our events are online instead of in-person. Everyone’s done a great job so far working together to keep the scene alive and kicking. I’m also super interested in the first virtual Hack Upstate event this October! I’m sure the HU team will make it as enjoyable as it would be if we were all in the Tech Garden.
What do you do outside of Hack Upstate?
I’m currently taking some time away from code and the Syracuse tech scene to rest and recuperate after the aforementioned health scare, but I’m looking forward to getting back in the swing of things soon! In my free time, I enjoy creating playlists on Spotify, tending my island in Animal Crossing, and working on my mission to read every single Stephen King book.
