After a long tenure in the ski industry and over a decade in operations, Luke Wheeler found himself yearning for something new and exciting. His interest in technology and love for learning, coupled with the continuous challenges that the tech industry presents, led him to Momentum. After completing the immersive program in November 2022, Luke created an impactful mentorship app, Momentum Mentors, connecting current students with alumni and fostering a thriving ecosystem of support and growth.
Continue reading to learn more about Luke’s journey and how he leveraged the skills he learned during his time at Momentum to develop an app for current and future students.
Luke’s Journey
Tired of the mundane and eager for a fresh start, Luke stumbled upon Momentum. Despite having no coding experience, he felt drawn to the world of tech, where opportunities to learn and grow seemed limitless. Luke joined Momentum’s Team 14 and immersed himself in our rigorous curriculum, determined to embrace the challenges and excel, and he emerged with newfound skills and ambition.
Among the many coding schools available, Momentum’s strong sense of community stood out to Luke. Momentum empowers its students to take charge of their learning journey, and the push for independence from instructors allows for a more profound understanding of the concepts, and the camaraderie among students fosters an environment of mutual support.
The Birth of Momentum Mentors
Following graduation, Luke recognized the immense value of mentorship, both for current students seeking guidance and alumni looking to give back to the community. With a passion for learning and challenges, he embarked on a mission to create the Momentum Mentors app—a platform that would unite current students and alumni for code help and job search support.
Tech Stack and Development Process
Building the app from scratch, Luke and a team of fellow Momentum graduates leveraged many of the coding skills and programming languages taught during the program and began with simple wireframing to design the user flow. Leveraging his newly acquired skills, he employed React, JavaScript, and Material UI for the front-end, and Django, Python, Djoser, AWS, PostgreSQL, and Redis for the back-end. To ensure a robust and secure application, he used various tools like Sentry.io, Insomnia, Trello, Jira, Twilio, Jitsi, and Snyk.io as well.
The Momentum Mentors app features an intuitive interface allowing users to sign up using their first and last name, phone number, and headshot, along with their Momentum team number. Email notifications keep users informed about upcoming mentorship sessions, with a session signup page to facilitate mentor-student connections. Mentors simply list the topics they are knowledgeable about and students choose suitable time slots based on date and time preferences.
Encouraging Growth and Collaboration
Emphasizing the importance of asking questions and trusting the learning process, the app promotes a culture of encouragement and empowerment. Luke’s app also allows students to contribute after graduation, fostering a sense of community ownership. Furthermore, he encourages graduates to engage in open-source projects, providing insights on transitioning from bootcamp to developing production-level applications.
Here’s Luke’s message to current Momentum students:
“You all are amazing. Don’t compare yourself to anybody else in your class or anybody else around. You are amazing in your own right.”
Community Impact
Since its launch last month, Momentum Mentors has already facilitated 177 sessions over the course of roughly 110 cumulative hours between students and alumni, making a profound impact on the Momentum community. Luke’s determination, ambition, and dedication to helping others have transformed him from a coding school graduate to a tech trailblazer, leaving a lasting legacy of support and mentorship for generations to come.
Looking Ahead
Luke’s journey serves as an inspiring example of embracing challenges and seizing opportunities. With the creation of the Momentum Mentors app, he has not only bridged the gap between current students and alumni but also fostered a thriving community of learners and mentors. Luke’s commitment to growth continues to shape the future of tech education, leaving a lasting impact on those fortunate enough to be a part of Momentum’s community.
If you are looking to fill open positions on your team with exceptional software developers who are dedicated to continuous learning, reach out to us at info@momentumlearn.com or click here.
