Evening & Weekend Profile – Balancing Life and Learning

Stephanie Lentell starts her day at 5 a.m. An Air Force Veteran, military spouse, and mom to four children, Stephanie wants to pivot from a teaching career to the technology sector. But because of her family responsibilities, she was unsure if she could make time for or afford a career change. 

“I ruled out a full-time program because I have four kids between six and fourteen years old, and my husband is in his own full-time program,” Stephanie said. “One of my kids is medically complex. When the nurse calls, I need to go. I need the flexibility to be present for my family while doing something for myself.”

Stephanie helps her children get ready and drops them off at school. She then tackles the housework. Her husband, a recently retired Navy Senior Chief, is also home undergoing a career change. 

“When my husband retired from the Navy, I was going to work,” Stephanie said. “But the Covid-19 pandemic obliterated my teaching prospects. Schools were locked down, my kids needed to stay home, and education became an unpredictable and increasingly stressful career path. I had to figure out what to do.”

Stephanie always enjoyed technology. So she decided to pursue a new career in tech. After trying some workshops, she discovered the coding world to be challenging and exhilarating. She taught herself the fundamentals of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Then she decided to join a remote coding Bootcamp.

“I decided to apply for the Code Platoon Evening and Weekend Program, but I missed the deadline for Bravo Platoon,” Stephanie said. “I emailed (Greg Drobny, Code Platoon’s Student Outreach Manager) and asked what I could do. He sent me Intro to Coding and offered to help me find another option. We never spoke, but I could sense Greg’s passion for helping Veterans like me.”

When Charlie Evening & Weekend Platoon was announced, Stephanie applied and was accepted. 

Still, Stephanie worried about how she would pay for the Code Platoon program. She already used her GI Bill benefits on degrees in education, and military spouse benefits were not an option. But Stephanie learned that she qualified for the Veteran Rapid Retraining Assistance Program (VRRAP), which pays for Veterans unemployed by Covid-19 to receive retraining for in-demand careers. 

After finishing her household responsibilities each day, Stephanie now works on her Code Platoon projects. When her kids come home from school, Stephanie helps them with their homework, takes her son to therapy sessions, and makes dinner. 

“If I’m in a waiting room, I usually have my laptop with me. That’s definitely part of the balancing act,” Stephanie said.

Three nights per week, Stephanie attends live remote classes until 10:30 p.m. She also has class on Saturday from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. While she’s in class, her husband watches the kids.

“My husband and I work together,” Stephanie said. “He has class during the day, and I have class at night. My instructors, Tom and Chad, are also so supportive. They help me balance class and my family.”

After graduation, Stephanie hopes to find a remote job to continue being present with her family. She is especially interested in virtual learning technology after seeing her kids’ pandemic home-schooling.

“Existing virtual learning platforms aren’t designed for the kids,” Stephanie said. “They are designed for the grown-ups teaching them. But I think we can make virtual learning better. That’s my favorite thing about technology–it’s constantly evolving.

“When I went to college, I learned to teach one subject, and that’s it. After Code Platoon, I can combine tech with anything. I’m working towards being a software engineer, but there are so many other directions I can explore. I’m so excited for the opportunities Code Platoon opens the door for.”

Kayla Elkin is the Marketing Content Specialist at Code Platoon. In this role, she utilizes her marketing, writing, and editing skills developed by previous positions in higher education and educational technology. Kayla has degrees in English and Sociology from Clemson University and completed the Study in India Program (SIP) at the University of Hyderabad. She lives with her partner in northern Chicago.