Celebrating six years of Build Carolina with success stories
Build Carolina turned six in November 2023. To help us celebrate, we interviewed seven amazing learners, mentors, and partners to share their Build Carolina success stories.
You can watch them all in the Build Carolina Stories playlist, or scroll down to read about each interview individually.
Caleb McQuaid, founder of Purple Wren Digital, shares his story of starting his tech career at Carolina Code School almost six years ago. He has since volunteered as a mentor and course facilitator through SC Codes, has hired fellow CCS graduates, and is most recently a Develop Carolina employer host company.
Shambi Broome, founder of Webgyrlz Code and dedicated volunteer for Build Carolina programs, shared her story starting at the beginning of her journey of breaking into tech. It is a journey that has required her to be determined to learn what she doesn’t yet know, be willing to listen to feedback (and put it into action), and be resilient in the face of adversity. Shambi is a role model for how to keep going in the tech industry as a developer, business owner, nonprofit executive, mother, and more.
Seth Williams, now a senior software engineer living with his family in Atlanta, told us the story of starting and stopping college three times, working in the restaurant industry, and parenting his first child with another on the way before enrolling in a coding course. He started a part-time course at Carolina Code School two days after his second child was born. He then enrolled in our full-time web development course immediately after touting the perks of learning in a non-traditional environment.
Camby Chavis shares his story of breaking into the tech industry as a self-taught software engineer. He credits his success to many things, including rolling the dice, specifically a D12, to create his own luck, seizing the opportunities that were in front of him, and seeking out (and using) a community like the one he found with SC Codes and then again in Develop Carolina. Camby now works full-time at Booz Allen Hamilton and volunteers his time as a mentor for SC Codes learners and Develop Carolina apprentices.
Ariana Konhilas, a graduate of Develop Carolina who is now a software engineer at Booz Allen Hamilton, wanted to become a writer in her childhood. As many of us know, life often goes differently than planned, and people often have to carve out their paths to achieve their goals. Ariana's story is no different. Her interview exemplifies how the encouragement and support of those around us can help us accomplish things we may not think are possible. Her journey demonstrates that anyone can flourish in technology with access to quality training and support.
Edward Wald is a tech professional with expertise in accessibility. After a successful career working around the United States, he teaches people to code in his hometown of Barnwell, using the SC Codes curriculum at the Palmetto Innovation Center as part of their Code Career Connect program. Edward is passionate about helping people acquire the skills necessary for various tech roles. In this interview, he discusses his work and experiences in hopes of encouraging people to start their tech journeys.
Stephanie Cushing shares her journey from college athletics to becoming a software developer. She discusses the importance of taking risks and making a career change that aligns with personal values and goals. Stephanie emphasizes the value of mentorship and the need for diversity in the tech industry. She highlights the importance of continuous learning and being open to different perspectives. Stephanie also discusses her current goals and plans for the future. Stephanie is currently a full stack software engineer at MedProcure, LLC.
We look forward to bringing you more success stories. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for updates.
Learn about the programs mentioned in these interviews on our “Programs” page below.
