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

Coding Your Passions | Graduate Spotlight
May 8, 2017
Zoe LeBlanc loves history. Nathan Baker loves board games. While these two graduates have very different backgrounds and interests, they’re both combining their passion with a new love for coding. Zoe created apps that help academic researchers. Nathan created an app that shows you the most popular board games and was featured on a well-known board game podcast. Here are their stories. Read More

Topics: Student Stories

Capture + Build + Sell | Graduate Spotlight
May 2, 2017
What do a photographer, a welder, and a salesman have in common? They’re all NSS graduates! Our students’ prior work experience is as varied as a 120 count box of crayons. Abby was a wedding photographer who wanted to reclaim her weekends. Ben was a welder who was seeking a career with advancement opportunities. And Trent was afraid of becoming a tired, old salesman. Here are their stories. Read More

Topics: Student Stories

Do You Accept Cache? | Graduate Spotlight
Apr 27, 2017
While many of our grads come from similar fields, they all bring their own unique experience that enhances their development skills. This week we meet Drew Martin and Nick Chemsak, two guys who have experience in the financial service industry. Drew was a banker, but also has experience as an auto mechanic and graphic designer. Nick worked in IT for a credit union and was responsible for automating several processes. Here are their stories. Read More

Topics: Student Stories

Celebrating Women In Tech | IN THE COMMUNITY
Apr 24, 2017
Last Thursday night, the organizations that support women in technology came together for one giant event! The Nashville Entrepreneur Center was filled with old and new friends as we celebrated the impact women are making in the Nashville tech community. Women attended from Nashville Girl Geek Dinner, Women in Technology Tennessee (WiTT), Women Get IT, Tech Ladies, and Nashville Women Programmers. While each of these organizations offers different environments and programs, they all seek to empower women in tech. Read More

Topics: Community, Get Involved

Making The Leap From Music To Development | Graduate Spotlight
Apr 19, 2017
It’s no secret that Nashville is known as Music City. While dozens of people move here every day to pursue a career in music, some of those who have been in the industry for a while are ready for a new chapter in their life. This group of graduates all came from careers in music. They bring skills like teamwork, creativity, and problem solving under pressure...all great skills for software developers. Here are their stories. Read More

Topics: Student Stories, Hiring?

Web Development For Beginners | NSS Introduces A New Course
Apr 14, 2017
Are you intrigued by web development? Web Development Jumpstart is a short course that offers students an accelerated introduction to web development technologies and careers. By the end of this course, you will have a basic understanding of the core web technologies, including HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, and be able to build and deploy your own website. Read More

Topics: Student Stories, News

Cohort 16 Wraps Up With Successful Demo Day
Mar 29, 2017
Last Friday, 23 graduates from Cohort 16 showcased their front-end and back-end capstone projects for prospective employers. The day started with the opportunity to present to their family and fellow students. By the time hiring managers started to arrive, Cohort 16 was energized and ready. Get to know these 23 graduates. Read More

Topics: Student Stories, Hiring?

Graduate Spotlight Thom, Bernie, Jamie & Chris
Mar 23, 2017
Many of our students attend a bootcamp as a way to change their career. Some even do so after having been successful in another field for 10-20 years. Today we catch up with our final 4 graduates of Cohort 15 and Evening 3. Read More

Topics: Student Stories

Graduate Spotlight | Sandy, Odigene & Matt
Mar 16, 2017
Our evening bootcamp students make big sacrifices to attend NSS. Working full time jobs during the day, they spend two evenings a week and Saturdays in the classroom. They also meet with study groups outside of class at least once a week. They give up fun and family time to pursue a new career in development, but they love the challenge of learning development and leave the program excited about their future. Read More

Topics: Student Stories

Cohort 16 Student's Website Featured In Board Game Podcast
Mar 13, 2017
Sometimes students take their capstones beyond the classroom. Today we look at Cohort 16 student Nathan Baker’s front-end capstone Tabletop Tracker. As an avid board gamer, Nathan understands firsthand how overwhelming it can be to know which new board games should get his attention. Tabletop Tracker shows you which games are climbing the BoardGameGeek, a leading website about board games, rankings the fastest. Read More

Topics: Student Stories