Stories from the Hackery

Katie Dawkins graduated with Web Development Cohort 54. After 8 years as a personal trainer, I decided it was time to pursue a new career path. In my years of coaching groups & individuals, I’ve cultivated my passion for teaching, leading groups, working with people, & learning new things. I love diving deep into the details of how things work, & enjoy finding ways to creatively solve problems wit...

David Clark graduated with Web Development Cohort 54. Former attorney, now full stack software engineer in Nashville, TN. Originally from Oak Ridge, TN.

Christian Haggerty graduated with Web Development Cohort 54. Audio Engineer turned software developer. I have been dedicated to the world of audio and event production for the last decade. As much as I love it, after years of the grind, mainly working nights and weekends. I felt the need to make a shift into a career that can stimulate my creative technical mind and provide more work / life balanc...

Mary Beth Hunter graduated with Web Development Cohort E16. Before beginning my journey at Nashville Software School in web development, I was working as a Distance Learning Technician for the University of Mississippi. This role allowed me to bridge the gap between my love of learning in higher education and technology. These industries are as intertwined as ever with the global pandemic, and thi...

Harika Suvak graduated with Web Development Cohort E16. I got an opportunity to venture into Web Development through NSS. Hoping this will open new doors! In my free time, you will find me watching movies, and dancing to some hit Bollywood music!

Craig Wellspring graduated with Web Development Cohort E16. I’ve been coding since I discovered game modding as a young teenager. I worked in kitchens for most of my early life but software development has always been my passion.

David Vareba graduated with Web Development Cohort E16.

Gabriel Smith graduated with Web Development Cohort E16. Aiming to use my acquired academic knowledge, professional skills, teamwork, and creative thinking to successfully add value to at your company.

Albert Chittaphong graduated with Web Development Cohort E16.

Madden Purcell graduated with Web Development Cohort E16. What you call it when computer programmers make fun of each other? Cyber boolean. My name is Madden Purcell and I have been coding since March 2021. I started coding to develop new skills during early COVID lockdowns, and I immediately fell in love. I enjoy the structure of good code, yet have a great time getting creative with different so...

Grace Sutherland graduated with Web Development Cohort E16. After an educational background in fine art and many years in the food service industry, I decided to change career paths into software development. I applied and was accepted into Nashville Software School’s part-time, full-stack, web development E16 cohort. I am halfway through the year-long program, and I have learned so much and canno...

Caitlyn Brown graduated with Data Analytics Cohort 6. For the last three years, I have worked as a Senior Customer Success Manager for a K-12 learning analytics platform. I enrolled at NSS to better understand the process of transforming raw data into actionable insights. I look forward to using these new skills to help design process schemas and products that drive value for customers.

Klay Thacker graduated with Web Development Cohort E16. Prior to starting my journey in software development, I was learning welding technology and even got certified to do three different types of welding. I enjoyed the opportunity to bend and put together metal, create art projects from scrap, and learning how to think outside of the box to complete projects. After I left the welding field, a fr...

Daniel Sitarek graduated with Web Development Cohort E16. Prior to my journey into software development, I worked as a Nuclear Weapons Technician/Team Chief in the US Air Force. In this role I learned, among other things, how to perform technical work with attention to detail, quickly reference information from vast sums of documentation, and discipline. After the Air Force I became a Machine Buil...

Austin Parker graduated with Web Development Cohort E16.

Derek Baylor graduated with Web Development Cohort E16. I’ve always enjoyed working with computers. My journey into tech started when I learned how to build a Microsoft Access application to help the company I was working for at the time track the costs of repairs I was performing on their equipment. Soon after I started looking into ways to get into the tech industry but it wasn’t until NSS that...

Jennifer Williams graduated with Web Development Cohort 53.

Halie Dyer graduated with Web Development Cohort E16. Bob Ross would say the bugs in your code are just "happy little accidents." I am a TN native and have been described as a "grandmotherly" type, and you'll see why in my choices of capstone projects. Along with gardening and cross-stitching, I also like to spend my free time cooking, crocheting, watching tv and movies, antiquing and sewing. When...

Derek Malone graduated with Web Development Cohort E16. Building and creative problem solving have been passions of mine since a young age. These passions led me to pursue a degree in Ceramics, then led me into the field of Insurance Marketing, and ultimately led me to entering Nashville Software School's Full Stack Development program. Software Development has allowed me to not only use these ski...

Joe Gibbs graduated with Web Development Cohort E16. I am an experienced customer service team lead with a history working in the healthcare technology industry with a focus on SAAS. Passionate about serving customers with grace, mercy and a hint of accountability. In my free time I enjoy playing video games with my friends from back home, reading, and spending time with my wife and our two rescue...

Charnissa McKinney graduated with Web Development Cohort E16.

Ross Kimberlin graduated with Data Science Cohort 5. I like to make complicated things simple for people. What is the data story for the business as a whole? What are the big takeaways we want people to remember? What mission-critical processes and gotchas do we need to document? In my three years as a database analyst in radiology, I tried to answer these questions for both my own tech teams and...

Joshua Rio-Ross graduated with Data Science Cohort 5. I’m a mathematics professor turned data scientist who loves using machine learning to make decisions. I’m a creative and determined problem solver, an enthusiastic learner, and a culture builder who wants to see his team thrive.

Eli Lavender graduated with Data Science Cohort 5.

Conrad Reihsmann graduated with Data Science Cohort 5. Throughout my academic career, I have collected data and conducted qualitative and quantitative data analysis. As a life-long learner, last year, I decided to learn Data Science and expand my job opportunities outside of academia. I am looking forward to building my career in tech as a computational linguist/NLP data scientist.