Mandy Arola

Mandy has been following developers & tech companies at meetups since 2016. She is NSS’s chief content wrangler, a.k.a. marketing manager. When she’s not writing blogs, managing social media, pestering instructors & graduates for content, or attending meetups, you can find her traveling the world or at home with her beloved dog Lola.
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Recent Posts

Finding Patterns In Data | Graduate Spotlight
Jun 4, 2019
After learning of Nashville Software School's (NSS) data science bootcamp, Selam chose bootcamp over graduate school. She did not have any coding experience prior to attending NSS, but embraced the learning process and found the environment to be supportive and encouraging. Read More

Topics: Student Stories, Hiring?, Analytics + Data Science

Code That Hasn't Been Written Yet | Graduate Spotlight
May 30, 2019
Hannah Neal is passionate about science and thought her ideal career would be in a laboratory. After getting her foot in the door as a customer service representative she started working with data and was exposed to the development process. As she moved from customer service into the laboratory, she consistently saw a need for better software applications. Read More

Topics: Student Stories, Hiring?, Web Development

Behind The Design: Data Science T-shirt
May 21, 2019
We have a lot of visually creative alumni that have lent their talents to NSS over the years, so when we needed a new t-shirt design for our data science program, we knew where to turn. Rather than select a single alum to design a shirt, we held a little design contest. See the winning design. Read More

Topics: Alumni, Analytics + Data Science

Court Reporter Transitions Back To Web Development | Graduate Spotlight
May 9, 2019
Bryan worked as a court reporter in New York City for 12 years before moving to Tennessee. He was seeking a career change and took a job in sales and marketing while he explored his options. It didn’t take long to realize that the job was not a fit. Bryan wanted to return to a career where he could combine his creativity and love of problem-solving – like his first job after college as a graphic designer and web developer. The change he had been seeking was right in front of him all along. Read More

Topics: Student Stories, Web Development

The Ultimate Mock Interview Event
May 3, 2019
When is the last time you went on a job interview? For many of our students, it’s been at least a few years. Prior experience aside, preparing for your first few tech-related job interviews is daunting. Find out how our mock interviews are helping students with this crucial step to landing a job and why so many hiring managers and technical leads are eager to participate! Read More

Topics: Student Stories, Learning, Hiring?, Community, Get Involved

Learning New Tools Creates Desire To Build Tools | Graduate Spotlight
Apr 23, 2019
As a digital marketer, Kelly Morin loved learning new tools and digging into marketing technology. As her career progressed, she realized that she loved understanding the tech underneath the tools more than marketing and decided to take the leap into software development. Read More

Topics: Student Stories, Web Development

Do You Need A Ph.D. To Become A Data Scientist?
Apr 18, 2019
In an article titled Why Does A PhD Hurt You?, Lindsey Morris, Director of Data Science & Analytics at axialHealthcare and supporter of Nashville Software School (NSS), looked at the skills acquired when working toward a Ph.D. degree that are valuable for data scientists and those skills that post-docs may not have had an opportunity to acquire. Read More

Topics: Community, Analytics + Data Science

Networking Leads To Job Offer | Graduate Spotlight
Apr 16, 2019
As a Systems Operations Analyst for a healthcare company, Rachel Daniel was managing a team of analysts and temporarily managed a team of developers. “I always loved analyzing and presenting data, but when I had the opportunity to supervise developers, I made it a point to get familiar enough with our code base so that I could be a first line of defense for questions about our software,” Rachel shared. “As a result, I fell in love with code and realized it was my true calling.” Learn more about Rachel's experience at NSS and how she landed a job before graduation. Read More

Topics: Student Stories, Web Development

Curd nerd Alert | Graduate Spotlight
Apr 9, 2019
Andrew Herring is no stranger to new experiences. Four years ago he bought a one-way plane ticket to Prague to become an English teacher. “It was the adventure of a lifetime and I saw and met people I will never forget,” he shared. After a few years abroad, Andrew was ready for the next adventure. He returned home to Nashville and his friends told him all about their experiences at Nashville Software School (NSS). “From the very beginning, I knew what I would always love about software development, infinite learning potential and the satisfying feeling one gets from creating something with their hands,” he explained. Read More

Topics: Student Stories, Hiring?, Web Development

Music, Jokes, and Code | Graduate Spotlight
Apr 4, 2019
Robby Hecht spent last summer on tour. He had a lot of fun as a singer/songwriter, but was burned out and ready for something new. He knew several musicians that had transitioned to development through Nashville Software School (NSS) and they were all happy with their experience and their new careers. Robby decided to give coding a try with Web Development Jumpstart before pursuing a bootcamp. Read More

Topics: Student Stories, Hiring?, Web Development