A New Challenge | Graduate Spotlight

Before attending NSS, Christ Meffley of Part-time Web Development Evening 14 spent over a decade working in the animal care field. “I was looking for a new challenge and software development grabbed hold of me and I never looked back,” he laughs. “I discovered many similarities between my old career and new one, including: problem solving, efficient communication, adaptability and passion.” 

​​Why did you choose to attend NSS?

“I had been interested in doing a coding bootcamp for several years, but there were so many, it was very hard to choose. When the pandemic happened and NSS went remote, I knew I had to jump on the opportunity. I have several friends who went through NSS and have been successful ever since they graduated. But the biggest selling point was how much they help post graduation to make sure you get a job. They don't want to just teach you, they want you to succeed in every aspect of the tech world.”

What was your favorite capstone project and what about it made it your favorite?

“My favorite capstone was my full-stack project "It's Not Easy To Be Green." I really enjoyed taking my idea and building a complete application from it. Planning was essential and creating an ERD was much easier (than my front-end capstone) because I had to create the database which is a reflection of the ERD. Building the back-end foundation in C#, it was great to see how much goes on behind the scenes that the application user can't see. Creating the specific API calls and manipulating the data in order for it to be sent to the front-end was a great challenge to overcome. Then I enjoyed connecting the React front-end to the back-end foundation I had built. I was happy that I was able to use Styled Components for the first time to help with styling. There were a lot of challenges, but I overcame them and was super happy with everything, especially ‘growing’ a tree on the app.” 

What advice would you give to current or incoming NSS Web Development students? 

“The best advice I can give is to ask questions and learn to fail. You will mess up a lot, but it is what’s needed in order for you to learn, along with asking questions. Don't be afraid to ask questions! Someone else probably has the same question, they just aren't brave enough to ask it.”

HIRE CHRIS

Since graduating, Chris has begun the search for his first job in tech! When he’s not coding, Chris enjoys hiking, cycling or training for his next endurance adventure. “I have enjoyed the highs and learned from the lows and look forward to diving deeper into my new and exciting vocation.” 

Connect with Chris on LinkedIn and learn more about his capstone projects and NSS experience by listening to his podcast below! 

Meet more of the graduates from Web Development Cohort E14 by visiting their class website!