Coding for me has opened doors and connected me with interesting people I would never had met otherwise. This post showcases the kumus (instructors) who taught me everything I know now.
Rich is a man who is as generous as he is driven. Once we spent time together and I heard his journey, I realized he is a great example to follow. He is always looking for that connection with people and then he goes into the technical information which he knows very well. I can appreciate that, because we can grow and go further with the help of others. When he sets his mind to something, like DevIsland, he plants a seed and nurtures it to a point of growth where it is producing fruit. I credit Rich for taking a chance on me, welcoming me into his cohort2, allowing me to learn from the kumus below.
Andrew, the lead instructor when it came time to take what I had learned in Javascript and move into React, NodeJS, MongoDB, SQL, and Express. Not only is he a talented coder, he also is a surfboard shaper and repairs surfboards in his free time. He has built an impressive shaping bay at his house so that he can drop in there whenever he needs a break from screen time. What I enjoy most about Andrew is his speed - the man is very time driven and wants to find the solution to problems fast, keep meetings short, and show up & end on time. He makes time for beginner questions and asks questions instead of giving away the answer.
Morgan, the lead instructor for the other class, has a calming presence about him that makes it seem like any problem I had trouble with can be solved with rational thinking and slowing myself down. He uses systems to take difficult problems and break them into simply easy to understand chunks. He runs this algorithms class on Sundays that aims to help us study for coding interviews by solving Leet Code algorithms. Genuine and dedicated, he finds a way of making coding interesting and fun without realizing that we are solving problems.
Gabby, the dancer turned coder. She is a great listener and knows exactly how to approach a problem that a student has. She takes her time to listen. She offers up a simple system strategy for breaking the problem down. She asks questions of us and pushes us to think about examples or ways of doing something differently. She has a passion for the arts and reminds me that coding is a great pathway for someone who needs a change.
Karin, the gardener and straight talker. You will meet her and instantly realize she loves to share her abundance. When she isn’t coding, she is in the garden growing a rainbow of pepper varieties or fostering multiple cute canines. Having her in our coding corner, she was able to give really good advice on finding jobs, interviewing, and negotiating. She is a great host, and I look forward to the days when we will have a meal together family style.
AJ’s favorite saying is typing is for suckers. He is a straight faced poker player when it comes to jokes and you would never know he is yanking your chain until he wants you to know he’s been joking all along. With a sly smirk he then lets out a hearty laugh. He was the cofounder of Dev Island and the lead instructor for the first couple of months on HTML and CSS. A family man, he prioritized being with them over continuing with DevIsland, and I respect him for that decision.
Teddy brights a fire that can light up a room. His personality is upbeat and outgoing, yet he is a teacher that has a gentle touch. He starts at the very beginning, breaking problems down and going back to what we had learned previously. He then builds and connects the dots between things so that we get these Aha! Moments every time he teaches.
Lilia is a loving human who is learning to code herself and is helping others to help solidify her understanding of the material. This is a great strategy that i hope to use one day as well when I know enough to share it with others. She has a beaming smile and is a classic kauai girl with lots of aloha.
