In this episode of Stories from The Hackery we catch up with Data Science 3 alumni Dibran Rexhepi, a former biology graduate turned data engineer who also teaches in ourPart-time Data Analytics Bootcamp at Nashville Software School.
Dibran shares his journey from studying biology to eventually finding himself immersed in the world of programming. Graduating with a bachelor's degree in biology, he initially found fulfillment working in a chemistry lab but soon realized the itch for a greater challenge.
Dibran pursued a master's degree in biotechnology where he stumbled upon programming for the first time, specifically through a bioinformatics class that introduced them to Perl, an older yet foundational programming language.
His journey took an unexpected turn when a friend mentioned NSS. Despite being entrenched in a master's program, the allure of coding proved irresistible, prompting Dibran to embark on a dual path of academic pursuit and coding education.
Balancing the demands of his master's program with the rigorous curriculum of NSS, Dibran shares that his time at NSS was invaluable in preparing him with the skills needed for a career in data.
Fast forward to the present, Dibran is now employed as a data engineer at CarMax, specializing in cloud computing and Azure architecture. But his journey doesn't end there. Grateful for the opportunities afforded to him by NSS, Dibran returned as a part-time instructor, eager to pay it forward and guide aspiring technologists along their own paths.
I feel like having these kinds of skills, like just programming and knowing how to code, I feel like it's a superpower, really." Dibran Rexhepi Data Science Cohort 3 Alumni & Part-time Data Instructor at NSS
Hear Dibran’s full story when you listen to his Alumni Spotlight on Stories from the Hackery, now streaming on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, or wherever you get your favorite podcasts!
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction
01:54 - Transition to Tech
03:30 - Discovering Nashville Software School
05:03 - Embracing Challenges
06:46 - Teaching and Giving Back
07:45 - Thriving Amidst Challenges
09:05 - Mentoring and Growth
11:24 - Advice for Aspiring Developers
12:34 - Insights from Industry Experience
15:30 - Reflecting on his NSS Experience
