Rakia Wells, Author at Ada Developers Academy

Where Passion and Coding Combine – Meet Our Volunteers!

September 29, 2021

The Ada Volunteer Community is made up of industry professionals, Ada Alums, and critical community members who bring their expertise to various roles that contribute directly to student success. Through the mantra “lift as they climb,” volunteers exude a passion for helping the next generation of tech leaders navigate the murky waters of code, team politics, and knowing “what’s what” when getting started. Many Adies can spend four to five hours outside of class understanding new concepts and finishing coursework.…

2021 State of the Union

September 10, 2021

Rakia Wells

Uncategorized

A Look Back Since the beginning of 2021, Ada has officially spun out and is building on the momentum of becoming an independent organization. Here is a state of the union covering the past 18 months and the next strategic direction of the organization. In March 2020, the education team flipped the entire program from an in-person learning model to fully digital. This team has continually adapted and adjusted to student feedback and has not lost a single student, even…

Ada Developers Academy is A Recipient of the $10 million from the Equality Can’t Wait Challenge

July 29, 2021

Rakia Wells

Uncategorized

Ada Developers Academy Unanimously Chosen As A Recipient of the $10 million from the Equality Can’t Wait Challenge Seattle tech startup poised for national expansion as a recipient of a $10 million grant to bring economic justice to the tech sector. Contact: Rakia Wells, press@adadevelopersacademy.org SEATTLE, WA — July 29, 2021 – Today, Ada Developers Academy, a cost-free coding school for women and gender expansive people, announces it was awarded $10 million through the Equality Can’t Wait Challenge, to expand…

Celebrating AAPI Heritage Month with Stories from Adies

May 28, 2021

Rakia Wells

Uncategorized

This AAPI Heritage Month, we celebrate the voices and journeys of current students and alums who worked their way through adversity to find their place in tech. These powerful women, trans, and nonbinary folks recount their biggest challenges and aspirations in the industry while giving thanks and gratitude to the folks that came before them. In Asian culture, Filipinos are kind of lower on the totem pole of Asians. We’re called third culture kids, “you are of Filipino descent, but…

Parenting and Programming

May 14, 2021

Rakia Wells

Uncategorized

Learning how to code is a new venture for many Adies when they first join the Ada program. Whether leaving a full-time job to pursue software development, making a career shift, exploring a new avenue of problem-solving, the pathways to code are endless. One pathway we will explore today is taking on the journey to code while being a parent. Is it possible? What does it look like? A handful of Adie parents share their experience parenting while programming. “I’ve…

Ada’s Updated Mission, Vision, and Values

April 21, 2021

Rakia Wells

Uncategorized

Over the past year, Ada has faced some unique challenges that led to significant changes in how we think about our impact. We have reevaluated our guiding principles through a robust planning process and aligned them around a new set of vision, mission, and values. These guiding principles will drive us to have the biggest impact we can while staying true to our program quality and core beliefs. In engaging our community, it was essential for us to: Gather and incorporate…

AdieCon: A Behind the Scenes look with Co-Creators Jade Vance and Leah Petersen

April 13, 2021

Rakia Wells

Uncategorized

Interview lead by Rakia Wells, Communication Specialist Cohort 5 Alum Jade Vance and Leah Petersen are the Co-Creators of AdieCon, an Alum driven conference meant to inspire, connect, and grow the Adie network. What started as an idea between friends blossomed into a renowned hub of inspiration and coveted industry talent. Jade and Leah share their passion for implementing change in the tech industry and passing the torch to future Adies. RW: Jade and Leah, thank you for joining me.…

Stop Asian Hate

March 22, 2021

Rakia Wells

Uncategorized

At Ada, we have spent the last week with our AAPI students and staff – holding space and taking care of each other. Our hearts are broken, and our community is scared and grieving. We are calling on our broader Ada community to do more than condemn these actions. We must acknowledge the longstanding history of anti-Asian sentiment in this country and the dramatic underrepresentation of Asian Americans across our institutions. These deep-seated biases and historic actions of our nation…

Ada Developers Academy is a Top 10 Finalist for the Equality Can’t Wait $10 Million Grant

March 8, 2021

Rakia Wells

Uncategorized

The Challenge will award $40 million to accelerate the pace of progress toward gender equality in America. Contact: Rakia Wells, marketing@adadevelopersacademy.org SEATTLE, WA (March 8th, 2021) – Ada Developers Academy may be the best kept secret in Seattle until today. Out of five hundred and fifty hopeful applicants vying for the Equality Can’t Wait Challenge, Ada has been selected as a top 10 finalist for one of three $10 million awards. This sizable grant opens up possibilities for national expansion…

Black Adies @ Ada: Stacy Lundquist

February 26, 2021

Rakia Wells

Uncategorized

Interview lead by Rakia Wells, Communication Specialist Part 3, the final interview, highlighting the experiences of Black Adies at Ada and beyond. Stacy Lundquist Cohort 14 Currently: Headed to Internship Stacy Lundquist (she/her) from Cohort 14 wasn’t immediately accepted into the program. As she plans to transition into her internship, she mentions she got in on her third time applying. What we were unable to document via phone, Stacy graciously wrote in. RW: Stacy, tell me more about your journey…