Introducing Codesmith’s Latine Engineer Scholar Emmanuel Barreto & Black Engineer Scholar Christie Laferriere

Emmanuel Barreto, 2024 Latine Engineer Scholar

Despite Silicon Valley being worlds away from Lares, a remote part of Puerto Rico with scant opportunities, Emmanuel was drawn to the contrast in lifestyle modern tech offered in comparison to his hometown.

“I didn’t really have neighbors and my family worked a lot, so my mum gave me an Xbox as a child. I think that was the root of my interest in software engineering, as the games I loved were always the tech-focussed, futuristic ones.”

“I’ve always had ideas for products I want to build—ones that could be of real value to people—but never had the tools to build those ideas into reality”

With few jobs available, professionals like Emmanuel’s mum must drive to nearby towns to work and, for someone eager to travel, working in tech was the key to unlocking a world unreachable from Lares.

“There’s only one or two very small schools there, so my mum and aunt combined their salaries to send me to a better school out of town so I could have a better chance. But that meant we always struggled with bills.”

He attended college but, due to some mental health struggles, had to drop out early. It was while working as a housekeeper in Montana after moving to the mainland and contemplating his next steps that a friend mentioned a sales course they had taken.

"I saw Will’s workshop on Callbacks and Higher Order Functions and thought ‘this is just one of the free resources, yet he’s enlightening my mind.’ I was hearing things I’d never heard from resources I’d paid for”

“They invested a lot of money, but had great outcomes. I wanted to do something similar, but aligned with my vision. I’ve always had ideas for products I want to build—ones that could be of real value to people—but never had the tools to build those ideas into reality.”

Codesmith wasn’t actually the first option found, but “when I did, I saw the passion they teach with. I saw Will’s workshop on Callbacks and Higher Order Functions and thought ‘this is just one of the free resources yet he’s enlightening my mind.’ I was hearing things I’d never heard from resources I’d paid for.”

Emmanuel’s goal from Codesmith is entrepreneurial in nature, while he acknowledges the allure of FAANG companies, his plan is to build his own company and products, particularly in finance.

“I’m into options trading, and one of the downsides is you have to dedicate time at certain hours of the day in order to buy options, which is inconvenient and makes it inaccessible for many people.”

Once he has graduated from Codesmith he will build an application to automate options trading and overcome these obstacles to make it an opportunity for everyone.

             Emmanuel Barreto, Latine Scholar 2024

“The app’s algorithm would execute trades automatically once certain specifications are met, allowing people to invest and make money. Because most investment tools, like savings accounts, don’t really help people.”

“I've seen the Codesmith syllabus—the roadmap to becoming a full-stack engineer—and I'm really intrigued by being able to build a back-end and a front-end and then connect it all together”

The only thing separating him from creating the app now is a lack of deep understanding of engineering tools, and “this is part of the reason why I’m joining Codesmith, to become a true software engineer and to be able to build my product.”

Codesmith’s focus on developing autonomous full stack engineers stood out to Emmanuel when thinking about what needed to make his vision a reality.

“I've seen the Codesmith syllabus—the roadmap to becoming a full-stack engineer—and I'm really intrigued by being able to build a back-end and a front-end and then connect it all together. But the thing I’m most fascinated by and excited to start at Codesmith is data structures and algorithms.”

“Life is about knowing how to react to situations and having a positive mindset despite the obstacles. That’s part of being an engineer too, you get problems and have to solve them.”

His other motivation for success at Codesmith and beyond is to give back to his family who made many sacrifices for him to be able to step out of his humble beginnings and have a chance to improve his prospects in life.

“My dream is to buy my mum a house, for my grandmother to see me succeed and for my aunt too, she's always backed me, and even helped me get to New York and to live here. It’s really been an investment and a sacrifice, but life is about knowing how to react to situations and having a positive mindset despite the obstacles. That’s part of being an engineer too, you get problems and have to solve them.”

Emmanuel highlights Codesmith’s resources, particularly its community, as both a deciding factor in why he decided to join and how he was able to pass the admissions process.

“Codemith supplied everything I needed to pass the interview, all the resources, the workshops, CSX, pair programming, etc. My process was to binge the workshops over and over, and then I’d dive into CSX.”

“Codesmith is a special community and very important to me, I didn’t see that anywhere else when I was looking.” It was leaning on the wider community that truly helped Emmanuel. 

“Preparing for the interviews is a process that requires dedication and commitment. And I did it with support from friends I made through Codesmith, not people I've known my whole life, we really bonded after going through this process together. We supported and educated each other, and it was such a beautiful experience.”

His personal approach to prepare for Codesmith was to use the free resources as much as he could, “Codemith supplied everything I needed to pass the interview, all the resources, the workshops, CSX, pair programming, etc. My process was to binge the workshops over and over, and then I’d dive into CSX.”

He quotes one of his biggest inspirations in tech, Steve Jobs, “he said ‘you can't connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect them looking backwards,’ and looking backwards, I see that process as the first step towards introducing myself into this industry.”

Christie Laferriere, 2024 Black Engineer Scholar

Christie was pulled off of the path to becoming a doctor—a career she had previously been guided towards—by tech. At first, biotech, the intersection of the two disciplines, seemed to strike the right balance between her two interests. 

“I first attended SheCodes bootcamp, because they made coding look fun, cool, and pretty, but when I attempted projects independently, I realized I was lacking JavaScript knowledge”

But after being exposed to web building while working as a Development Assistant at Salesforce, she realized that tech was where her future lay.

“This was the first time I thought how cool it would be to work in the tech field. However, I didn’t have the opportunity to pursue it right away.”

Her first opportunity came after she graduated Queens College, in her hometown of Queens, New York, double-majoring in biology and sociology. 

“I first attended SheCodes bootcamp, because they made coding look fun, cool, and pretty, but when I attempted projects independently, I realized I was lacking JavaScript knowledge. I began to network and stumbled across Codesmith.”

“What truly helped me get the Black Engineering Scholarship was leaning into the Codesmith community and never missing a chance to connect with others”

The preparation process for Codesmith, which challenges everyone coming into the program, was no different for Christie, but aided by Codesmith’s free resources.

                                                                                                                                   Christie Lafferiere, BES Scholar 2024

“Codesmith created a platform so that the general public can learn to code for free and have actual challenges that strengthen the understanding of a concept.”

As well as the resources, Codesmith’s people were a major factor in her journey.  “My admin coordinator, Amanda Pagan, really helped me out immensely. 

“But what truly helped me get the Black Engineering Scholarship was leaning into the Codesmith community and never missing a chance to connect with others.”

She explains that although she didn’t spend as much time as she would have liked with the Codesmith community, she gained a reputation as a driven and dedicated person.

Others in the Codesmith workshops often commented on how Christie regularly tuned into sessions when on buses or trains in New York. “Most of the heavy lifting was already taken care of from that dedication alone.”

“Both communities, Black people and women, have a lot to offer the world of tech. Both bring fresh perspectives that may cover factors never considered. These communities were not previously involved in tech, but I have no doubt tech will be better off for it.”

Her favorite tech products include YouTube, Notion—which she used to help her prepare for Codesmith’s technical interviews—Google, LinkedIn for networking, and Apple’s Books, for on the go reading.

Despite the big tech pattern linking most of these products, Christie is planning to become an entrepreneur and investor after graduating Codesmith. One of the figures in tech that inspires her to this end is Steve Jobs, a founding father of big tech.

“Steve Jobs is super interesting, because he left behind a legacy that still influences the world today,” but beyond entrepreneurialism Christie “is looking to be a brilliant person, among other brilliant people.”

“I’m being given an opportunity to pursue higher education and learn skills that I can use to impact generations to come”

Although she acknowledges that tech has not historically been a space open to Black people and women, she says “both communities have a lot to offer the world of tech. Both will bring fresh perspectives that may cover factors never considered.

“Both can also allow for unprecedented innovation in the near and far future. These communities were not previously involved in tech, but I have no doubt tech will be better off for it.”

As a recipient of Codesmith’s Black Engineering Scholarship, Christie is hoping it will help her to focus solely on her studies while on the program, indicating the opportunity it will in turn provide her to create change for others and herself in her own life.

“I’m being given an opportunity to pursue higher education and learn skills that I can use to impact generations to come as well as use them in the healthcare space. I majored in biology and sociology, and believe something beautiful can be created by combining music, tech and sociology.”