Hi!
My name is <3Jeremy and I’m an instructor at Ada Developers Academy. I’m new in this role (day 4, actually), but not new to Ada. I’ve TA’d with Ada since November of last year, and if you’ve ever been in the classroom on a Thursday or Friday afternoon, then we’ve likely met.
Kind of like our students, joining Ada is a career transition for me. Most recently, I was a senior developer with the fabulous engineering team at Think Through Math, building products to help kids learn math. I never really considered teaching full-time, but I’ve often assumed mentoring roles on my teams, and have a (storied) history of volunteering with social programs and non-profits. Relatively new to Seattle, I approached a friend about volunteer opportunities in the tech community. She pointed me to Ada, and, armed only with a name and an address, I stumbled into the classroom. The name was Karen and she quickly got me sorted; I was working with a student within 15 minutes of arriving. On my way out, a few hours later, I told Karen, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Very rarely in life has something clicked for me like being in the Ada classroom. It’s like the first time I listened to Operation Ivy’s Energy, or the first time I had good sushi. It’s a pivotal moment, a marker that you look back on and say, “and then things started to change.”
If we’re ever hanging out and there’s an awkward silence, or if we’ve just met and you’re looking to break the ice, feel free to ask me about any of these tantalizing topics:
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The time I played tag with a kangaroo named Quiqley,
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The best name for a cat (Pickles),
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Interactive rebasing in git because you’re bored,
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The advantages of collecting and listening to vinyl (none, except joy),
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How my D&D group is more diverse than your average tech company,
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The time I cuddled with a porcupine, or
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why you should consider adding a Chihuahua to your household.
So yeah, I’m chatty and excitable. I’m always around, so feel free to say hello. I’m best reachable at @_jnf or via email.