Meet Some Members of Mike Platoon

As the end of November approaches, Mike Platoon, Code Platoon’s newest class, is nearly halfway through their journey of the 14-week Coding Bootcamp. Mike Platoon is made up of 24 highly motivated Veterans and military spouses ready to take on the world of software development. Represented across the different U.S. military branches, here is a peek at some of our current students. 

As a military spouse, Aiizad is very excited to be part of Code Platoon and believes it is a great opportunity that matches up with her passion for software development. “Here, I have met an amazing group of people who want you to succeed,” Aiizad said. By the end of this program, she hopes to be well-prepared for the growing tech field and pursue an internship from one of Chicago’s great companies.

Tommy is a U.S. Marine Corps Veteran who served in signals intelligence. Up to this point, Tommy has found Code Platoon to be a fantastic experience. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m exhausted by the end of each day, but I’m also equally fulfilled each day. The Code Platoon curriculum, coupled with the support of wonderful instructors and after-hour TAs creates a learning environment where none of my questions go unanswered,” said Tommy.  At this stage in the program, he no longer feels intimidated by the software development field. “I still have so much more to learn, but I haven’t been this excited about the future of my career in a long time,” Tommy said. 

Jerel served in the Air Force as a cryptologic linguist. From a young age, Jerel enjoyed solving puzzles and learning other languages, and with Code Platoon, he is learning how to do both through coding. “Coming from a linguistics background, I feel like I’m adding new languages to my portfolio. Currently, we’re at the halfway mark, and already we’ve learned Python, JavaScript, HTML/CSS, and Django, to name a few,” Jerel said. By the end of the Bootcamp, he hopes he will gain enough knowledge to start his journey in the professional field confidently. 

Our U.S. Army Veteran, Emma, was also a cryptologic linguist. “Between TAs, instructors, and my classmates, there’s always someone to help when I get stuck on something,” Emma said, sharing how she is learning new skills in a short amount of time.  A new coding skill she recently enjoyed acquiring is Django. She was able to understand how Django worked because of all her HTTP server assignments. By the end of the Bootcamp, Emma hopes to have the skills to create future applications helping people find a little more happiness and feel more connected to others. 

As a US Navy Veteran, Augie served as a division officer on two ships. During these challenging times, Augie is finding the bright side of learning code in a remote setting. “I’ve come to appreciate the opportunity to learn in my own home, with a short commute (just downstairs!) and the ability to eat meals with my spouse, walk my dog, etc.,” Augie said. “I’ve especially been impressed by the support provided by instructors, teaching assistants, and my fellow students outside of class hours; when I have questions on the weekend or late at night, there’s usually someone around who can help me get unstuck.”. In the second half of the course, he is looking forward to working on the final and individual projects. “I have several ideas in mind for potential projects, for Bootcamp and beyond, and I can’t wait to have the skills and knowledge to bring them to life,” Augie said. 

Code Platoon is proud of Mike students’ immense progress so far and is eager to see all that they will accomplish in the future. 

Brenna Koss is Code Platoon’s Development and Operations Coordinator. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina Greensboro in Political Science and French. In her free time, Brenna loves to travel and spend time with friends and family. Follow Brenna on LinkedIn.