2023 Winter Graduates: Why soft skills are critical to your success

Congratulations to our winter graduates: Mamata Sanapala, Mat Evans, Nick Weeda, and JohnPaul Izibili. 

Connecting with your teammates, communicating when you have a problem you can’t solve, and approaching work and life with kindness. These are just some of the lessons our cohort left with this winter. In addition to technical lessons, these students really embraced the importance of soft skills and connecting with their fellow developers. 

We interviewed all of our students to get an inside scoop on learning to code. Why they decided to learn code, how coding has impacted their lives, and what’s next after launchpad.

What inspired you to learn code?

When I asked our students where the inspiration to learn code came from, many of their answers were the same: “I want a position that allows me to keep creating, building, and always learning.” 

Coding is a unique profession in that it allows developers to continuously learn throughout their careers as tech adapts and changes.

How has coding impacted your life?

Learning to code has enabled our students to step into the tech industry and pursue a career that will challenge them.

One of our graduates Mat Evans pursued sports for the majority of his life and in some ways coding parallels the struggles that athletes face. “There’s a new framework every six months so there’s always something new to learn. Even if you feel like you’ve mastered something, and I don’t think anything in coding you can truly master, there’s always more out there.”

Furthermore, Launchpad gives students the opportunity to work with a team and learn how to collaborate effectively. Sometimes soft skills are just as important as technical skills.

What makes Launchpad unique?

Launchpad surrounds you with fellow students from different disciplines so you can gain a holistic coding education and see how different parts work together to create something amazing.