Dev Catalyst Alumni: Jinx Atter and the Value of Learning 

“Dev Catalyst was the jumping off point for realizing I had a place in tech when I didn’t think that I did,” said Jinx Atter, a current student at the University of Tennessee Knoxville and intern at LogRhythm. “My school didn’t offer anything because I kinda joke that if you weren’t a doctor or farmer, my school had nothing for you. Getting access to the starting points for code and design really kickstarted almost everything.”

Jinx is taking some time off from school at the University of Tennessee Knoxville to work remotely at LogRhythm, a cyber security company in Colorado. His internship involves community management and helping to restructure the online forums for the company. The most valuable skills that set him apart for this job are his involvement in extracurricular activities, like his work in diversity education in an on-campus LGBTQ+ organization, and his graphic design skills. Being able to handle different groups of people and understand how to communicate with others effectively has served him well in this job. 

Jinx was a sponge when he was in the Dev Catalyst program and when he attended the tech tour to San Francisco in high school. The tech companies and people he met were “unfathomable” at the time. 

“The San Francisco trip really enabled me to get into the spaces I was able to get into just by seeing what things were out there and then I started to carve out my own niche,” said Jinx. “The value of seeing people as connections and resources was huge. I thought a lot of it before was just about knowing the information, but the communication skills are never ending and the power of knowing people, who know more people, is so important. And the power of a supportive community is essential.”

Jinx was one of the few students who didn’t go straight into computer science, but he went the graphic design, information science, and user experience route. He loves to learn and know more information, but so that he can know what is out in the world for him to do. His hope is to continually gain more experience and knowledge through his internship and continued education. 

“I like to get to the point of knowing enough to know that I don’t know anything. Knowing everything that’s out there so I can know the things I get the most excited about,” said Jinx. “Being about to dig into passion projects in combination with challenging work that will benefit you in the long run is my advice to anyone. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.”

Dev Catalyst Alumni: Presley Connor and Living Her Dreams

Dev Catalyst Alumni: Presley Connor and Living Her Dreams

Presley Connor started as a little 6th grader in middle school who wanted to be involved in her local SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) club. She continued to be involved at a local level until her high school years when she was selected to be in their national leadership program. As she entered high school, she was offered an internship by SADD and now she has landed a full-time position as their Digital Strategy Manager.

Dev Catalyst Alumni Spotlight: Steven Prescott and the Value of Problem Solving

Dev Catalyst Alumni Spotlight: Steven Prescott and the Value of Problem Solving

Imagine the awe of arriving on site at a large tech company like LinkedIn in San Francisco as a high school senior. Your eyes get wider as you see the fancy building and the coders doing the jobs you’ve always dreamed of. The efforts of these engineers is what produce these facilities that widen students’ eyes and give them the dreams of a career in technology.

Dev Catalyst Alumni Spotlight: Dahia Jackson

Dev Catalyst Alumni Spotlight: Dahia Jackson

“My high school class, which I thought would not affect me at all after graduation, actually helped me get to where I am now. People look at the fact that you've been coding since X grade. People look and like that you have X certifications. Many people do not know how to code so by having this skill, you make yourself more valuable to employers. But not only are you valuable to employers but also to yourself. You can really do anything if you know how to code.”

Dev Catalyst Alumni Spotlight: Steven Dew

Dev Catalyst Alumni Spotlight: Steven Dew

“The amount of doors that Dev Catalyst will open is amazing and it may completely reshape your life plan.” He said, “Even if a student may think it is boring or nerdy, I would say give it a chance.” He was first introduced to theCO through the program, “I remember bringing my project into theCO for a Help Night with Christen Harper and a few others. I was working on a remote-controlled t-shirt cannon using a Raspberry Pi.