Apps For Creatives, By Creatives | Graduate Spotlight

MEET JAYNA

Jayna D. Leize was working in administrative roles before her time in Web Development Cohort 44 and was, as she puts it, “bored out of my mind, not challenged in the slightest.” Jayna decided to pursue a career in web development after a friend who was a developer reminded her of the passion she had for computers and web design when she was in middle school and using GeoCities to build websites for herself and her brother’s rock band.“I looked at other online bootcamps, but just reading through Nashville Software School’s (NSS) website, it felt like the right fit for me. The learning style, the community, and the opportunities that could come from it just made sense,” she shares. 

THE NSS EXPERIENCE

Jayna speaks fondly of her time in Cohort 44 and the friends she made along the way. “Even though we've been completely virtual, our cohort is very close-knit and there is a sense of community that is incredibly hard to find elsewhere. I've made some amazing friends that will be in my life for a very long time.” 

She encourages new NSS students to not be afraid to ask for help, even when faced with the dreaded imposter syndrome that even seasoned developers can feel from time to time. 

Lean on your peers and don't be afraid to reach out to them, your instructors, and alumni.

CAPSTONE PROJECTS

Pupdate is Jayna’s front-end capstone. The application allows pet owners to keep up with their dog’s health records such as vaccinations or illnesses. Users can view and track their pet’s health information and vet records in one easy-to-use dashboard. Pupdate has full CRUD functionality and was created using React, React Hooks, React Router, and API fetch calls to JSON Server.

Jayna’s back-end capstone, ColorStory, prompts creatives with a random color and word to write a short story about. Users can save their story as either public or private inside of the app and read and comment on other users’ public stories. 

“Sometimes creative writers face writer's block, or maybe they just need a writing exercise to get creative juices flowing,” she explains. Jayna created ColorStory with React, React Hooks, React Router, and Django REST framework. 

HIRE JAYNA

Since graduating, Jayna has been dedicating her free time to some personal projects and plans to start learning AWS, MongoDB, DJango Admin, and NextJS. That will keep her busy for sure! 

I love the challenge, puzzles, and creativity that comes along with software development, but I am most looking forward to a career where I get to keep learning.

Learn more about Jayna by visiting her website or listening to her podcast! 

Check out all the recent grads at Full-time Web Development 44's class website and hear the graduates share their experience at NSS and capstone projects in their podcasts below.