One year ago I began one of the hardest, but most enjoyable 6 months of my life. I began the NSS Software Development Bootcamp and put myself on the path to a new career as a coder. I went from a forty-something guy with an increasingly outdated set of professional tools to having the skills I needed to enter the cutting-edge field of software development.

While I searched for the perfect opportunity after completing the program, I gave back to the school in small ways, such as organizing a fund raiser and by doing some coding for this site. That led to an opportunity to be a teaching assistant for the latest Bootcamp cohort that got underway this month. It’s been a great experience helping new students absorb the vast amount of information that comes their way every day.

Being a TA has also served as a measure of how far I’ve come since my first few weeks as a bootcamp student, and as a reminder of how much more I can learn every day for the rest of my career. My time as a TA will most likely be short; I’m interviewing for developer jobs as we speak. But while I’m here, I’m grateful for the opportunity to help make NSS a great place to change your life.

Joe Shepherd

NSS Cohort 2 grad.