Meet The Sprinters II 2023

The excitement is in the air as the second Selection Sprint of 2023 is going on in full swing at kood/Jõhvi. This intensive three-week period has attracted a diverse group of individuals, coming not only from Estonia but also from across the globe: Turkiye, Brazil, UK, Spain, Mexico, and US. 

As the participants traverse through the challenges of the selection process, we take a moment to introduce you to some of the people whose exciting paths have led them to the kood/Jõhvi Selection Sprint:

Meet Can

“Hi! I’m Can, 39, from Istanbul/Türkiye. I have been playing the piano since the age of 6 and graduated from Heidelberg College, USA, majoring in Music Theory and Composition.

First six years of my working life, I was a Chef, and later on, I got into Media Communications and Marketing. After doing an MBA focusing on Marketing, it ‘seemed’ everything was going according to plan. You guessed right, it didn’t.”

“Even in a pretty creative field like Marketing, I felt trapped. I didn’t feel like myself and wasn’t helpful to anyone else in my community so my search for meaning in what I do continued. My wife and I quit our jobs at the media agency and flew to South America. We worked as organic farming volunteers at several farms and traveled through most of the continent.”

Can and his wife at Machu Picchu, Peru

“After returning home I became a Music Teacher and started teaching at public schools in Istanbul. But students didn’t care much for Arts… So recently, I quit my job and took the self-learning path for coding and that’s how I found myself in kood/Jõhvi.”

“One thing I don’t like to this day is when people tell me what I can or can’t do. When I came across kood/Jõhvi online, I loved their energy and the idea of allowing learners to be the sculptors of their coding journey. So far, I’ve got the chance to meet many talented people with different backgrounds and start tackling problems together!”

Meet Larissa

“Hello! I’m Larissa, I’m 26 and I’m originally from Brazil! I’ve been living in Estonia (Tallinn) for almost a year now and I have a cute (Brazilian) cat called Frida. Currently, I work with finance, but I’ve been flirting with code for about 3 years (nothing big, just a few Python and SQL courses here and there). I miss something more structured, where I would be able not only to learn the theory, but also put it into practice, and that’s exactly why kood/Jõhvi seems like the perfect opportunity.”

Larissa is encouraging other women to try themselves in tech!

“My hobby is having hobbies. Seriously: every single week I’m into something new: coffee making, embroidery, puzzles, legos, etc etc. I’m a very dynamic person and I get bored very easily, and I believe that that’s exactly why I like coding!”

“I’m also engaged in social causes, and I’m here not only to make a career change: I wanna succeed and be able to help other women with the same goal. I want to see more women in tech!”

Meet Rasmus

“Hey everyone! I’m Rasmus, currently still a High school student from Tallinn and also the Co-Founder and CEO of a home management startup DoBu. Previously I worked in two startups in sales.”

“During my free time, I like to learn about many interesting topics and keep myself updated with the latest innovations, I also enjoy swimming in the sea (both in the summer and winter) and going to the gym.”

Rasmus Pitching in an Icehole at sTARTUp Night

“I had no prior coding experience before kood/Jõhvi, other than being aware of some high-level stuff while running my startup. At a kood/Jõhvi Cybersecurity hackathon this April, I had the chance to share my hackathon and startup experience, along with some valuable tips. I had always been interested in technology and knew I wanted to learn programming at some point, and after being immersed in the environment for a few days, I was hooked and knew I had to participate in the Sprint.

**Minors can participate in the Selection Sprint to gain new experience and only with the permission of a parent or legal guardian. 

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It is truly remarkable to witness the diversity of stories that unfold! Each individual brings their unique background, skills, and aspirations to the Selection Sprint, creating a truly vibrant and inspiring atmosphere. Discover more captivating stories in our “Meet the Sprinters” and “Student Stories“ sections.

Students mostly have no knowledge in coding when joining the Sprint

Don’t miss out on your chance to also be a part of kood/Jõhvi. Pass the Online Test and join us in the upcoming Selection Sprints!