We turned 8! ??
Due to the fires affecting my community and loved ones over the last few weeks, I delayed sharing this post. But now more than ever, I feel this deserves to be celebrated. Coding it Forward turned 8 earlier this month! Way back when this all began, I remember being a college student looking for ANYONE who was working at the intersection of government and technology. I've spent many years since then helping build what this organization has become–a way for college students to be exposed to exactly what I was looking for when I was in their shoes. I am so proud of what we have built. Here are 8 things I’m celebrating on our birthday: 1. Nearly 700 Fellows have completed the Fellowship since our 1st cohort of 14. 2. We've helped 80 government offices nationwide deliver for constituents. 3. Over 55% of our alumni are working in government/social impact full-time. 4. 6,000 early-career folks raised their hand to join us in 2024 alone. 5. Our team has grown to continue recruiting the best and brightest, support our alumni, and shape new ways to help government invest in the next generation. Yuyang Zhong Hannah D. Cassie Rubio 6. We saw our first Fellowship alums graduate from the U.S. Digital Corps! Digital Corps' launch in 2021 was what our team had always dreamed of–the government recognized the importance of investing in early-career talent and adopted our model to do so. 7. Everyone who has championed and built this org to get us here(many tagged and SO many not tagged). Rachel Dodell Chris Kuang Athena Kan Neel Mehta Nick Sinai Jessica Cole Jehron W. Petty 8. The next 8! Reflecting on our work and impact since 2017 has me so excited for what can be accomplished in the years ahead. Here's to continuing to build the next generation of mission-driven technologists!