Mila's Coding Bootcamp Fund

Hello! My name is Mila Wilkinson, I want to be a web developer, and I need your help to do it! I recently got accepted into Coding Dojo ’s coding bootcamp and now I need to find a way to pay for it.

The coding bootcamp is a 3 month long intense program that will teach me how to write code (in several programming languages), build my own projects and apps and give me the skills to rapidly pick up new languages.

So why get into programming? Well, it’s something I should have done a long time ago. In fact, I almost majored in Computer Science in college, but I backed out because, honestly, I was scared. Scared of being the only woman; scared of being the only African American. But after college, I got my foot in the door of the tech industry as a video game tester under contract at Microsoft and I was able to see that I belonged there just as much as anyone else did. However, very quickly after my entry into the tech industry, I noticed  a roadblock. I wasn’t able to move on to a higher position because there aren't many quality career opportunities in the industry if you don't know how to code.

I bounced from contract job to contract job, making stops along the way at almost every large tech company located in the Seattle area. I would have stayed at these companies if I could, but once the end of my contract arrived, I had to move on. And moving meant finding another contract position; usually the only option for non coders who want to stay in the tech industry. So, I did a year at Microsoft, two years at Google, two months at Amazon, and a year at Expedia. During my time at these companies, I was able to see how valued and desired coders are. I realized that coding is not only creative and stimulating, but it is the skill that will allow me to get a job and turn it into my career, something that hasn't been accessible to me as a contract worker.

After researching the best way for someone in my situation (working professional, college grad) to learn coding, I decided to go with a bootcamp instead of community colleges or night classes to earn a certificate. Many community colleges required pre-requisites that were unnecessary and time consuming. Certificate and continuing education programs took too long, and only focused on one or two programming languages. Coding Dojo, on the other hand, will only be 3 months and I will come out knowing 3 full stacks, which will make me a versatile, well rounded developer that can create complete web applications. I will be highly skilled and therefore a highly desireable job candidate.

So! I’ve gotten into the Coding Dojo bootcamp, beginning August 3rd. Now I need your help. The total cost is $12,500. I know that it seems like a lot (which is why I need your assistance, of course), but when you think about the better paying opportunities I’ll have access to after graduating from this program, the cost is worth it. So please donate anything you can and help me become a web developer! I’ve started a blog called Mila’s Coding Journey, so you can follow along with me and make sure your money is being put to good use. Invest in me and your donation will not be wasted!

Thank you all for your help and I can't wait to get started!

Mila

http://milacodes.tumblr.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/milawilkinson