Guest Speaker: Jack Arens, Lead Software Architect at Layer

We recently had the privilege of having Jack Arens, Lead Software Architect at Layer as a guest speaker for the West Virginia Coding Club.

Jack grew up with a constant interest in repairing and building things. He grew up in a small town in Nebraska that didn't offer any coding or engineering classes in school. However, he got exposed to computers and started to learn to code. He learned HTML and CSS and then started a website design business while he was in High School.

Jack was selected as a National Youth Science Camp 2017 delegate representing Nebraska. (https://www.nysacademy.org/programs/nyscamp/), a prestigious program where only two graduating high school seniors from each State are selected each year to attend this multiple week STEAM program. His exposure to technology was enhanced at the National Youth Science Camp.

Jack attended the University of Nebraska - Lincoln (https://www.unl.edu/), Raikes School of Computer Science and Business (https://raikes.unl.edu/). He earned a Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering; however it also incorporated Business and Mathematics. This combination supported his passions, but also gave him a strong and broad base for his career.

Studies included: 

Mathematics:

Calculus I, II and III and Differential Equations

Algorithms:

Writing Efficient Code

Innovation Processes:

Problem Solving

Embedded Systems:

Robotics and hardware design

Operating Systems:

How computers actually work

Business Law:

Law & Ethics

During his college career, Jack sought out and participated in multiple internships including two Summers with Northrup Grumman, one with Honeywell (remote), Marble and then Layer. A friend reached out and connected during college as an intern then transitioned as an employee.

Layer (https://layer.team) is startup based out of Lincoln, Nebraska that has developed a flexible data and workflow platform for buildings called Layer. It empowers teams to capture field data and photos, connect it to their drawings and models, and create beautiful deliverables and reports. They currently have seven full-time employees and are growing. Layer started as a work solution/tool for an architecture firm and is now a growing startup. 

Computer languages Jack has mainly worked with:

HTML & CSS (Markup languages)

PHP in HS

C & Java in college

JavaScript at Layer

Jack's tips for Education:

Get involved with groups, jobs, events

Try to understand what’s going on - Don’t just complete homework

Realize life isn’t a race - not always about how fast, make sure you enjoy and learn

Advice from Jack:

Write “Good” Code

Spend time doing lots of Problem Solving

Spend time doing lots of Projects/Practice

It’s not a race - enjoy yourself

Work hard to understand what’s going on

Don’t be afraid to ask for help

Advice regarding Coding:

Be inquisitive on why it works

Learn to understand how it works, which helps you to find bugs

Rubber Duck Debugging - If you are having a problem with the code, try to explain it to the rubber duck and ask for help, then if the duck doesn’t answer, ask someone for help.

Comment your code to help you and others understand it!

A Work Day in Jack's Life:

Stand Up daily meeting

2-3 planning meetings a week

Coding / Debugging

Planning and Architecting New systems

Implementing Designs

In the end we are making rocks think. . .building a device with materials from the Earth. That device is interactive and can assist us in our lives. So, it is exciting to learn how to make things run on a rock.

Dan McElroy, President of the WV Coding Club shared, "Many thanks to Jack for his insights and advice to our West Virginia Coding Club students. Thank you!"

Keep Coding!

Congratulations to Patrick Bragg!

Patrick, a junior at Ripley High School recently completed an arduous Advanced Tech Degree certification as well as becoming our first student to earn 3 college credits in our new Python programming class. With our offering of 5 additional college credit classes for the coming year it will be possible for Patrick to earn an additional 15 college credits during his senior year translating into an estimated savings of $30,000 should he choose to pursue a private college tech degree!

This young man has a very bright future!!

Guest Speaker: Lerna Jay, Project Manager

We were excited to have Lerna Jay, Project Manager, as our recent Guest Speaker for the WV Coding Club!


Lerna lives in Toronto, Canada and has been working in tech since 2016.

Her passion and education focus was studying theatre tech, film, English literature. She started in Stage Management, theatre, film and then pivoted into the technology industry because it was more stable work.

In 2020, Lerna began her journey in the blockchain industry as a project manager before transitioning into product management. Without a technical degree, she dedicated a significant amount of time to self-education, diving deep into blockchain concepts. However, her most valuable learning came through hands-on experience at her company. For Lerna, working in blockchain is not just about technology—it’s about restoring privacy and empowering individuals.

Understanding Blockchain

What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a decentralized digital ledger that securely records and verifies transactions across a distributed network of computers. Using cryptography, it ensures data integrity and prevents tampering.

How does it work?

  • A blockchain consists of blocks linked together in a chain.

  • Each block contains data, such as transaction records.

  • Once added, a block cannot be altered without modifying all subsequent blocks.

  • The entire network updates simultaneously, ensuring consistency and security.

Why is blockchain important?

  • It eliminates intermediaries, reducing costs and risks in transactions.

  • It enhances transparency and trust through immutable records.

  • It enables secure tracking of assets, from financial transactions to intellectual property.

Blockchain use cases

  • In financial services, blockchain facilitates trade processing and asset tracking.

  • It serves as the backbone of most cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin.

  • Bitcoin, often considered the first major blockchain application, helped spark widespread interest in the technology.

Lerna’s Work & Responsibilities

Over the years, Lerna has contributed to a variety of projects across different industries and ecosystems. Her core responsibilities include:

  • Hiring & team management – Recruiting talent and ensuring effective collaboration.

  • Project execution – Delivering projects on time and within budget.

  • Stakeholder & client management – Maintaining strong relationships and providing updates.

  • Product strategy & research – Identifying opportunities for innovation and product improvements.

  • Defining OKRs (Objectives & Key Results) – Setting clear goals and measuring progress.

  • Problem-solving & efficiency improvements – Enhancing workflows and optimizing product development.

Understanding OKRs

OKRs (Objectives & Key Results) are a goal-setting framework used to align teams on key outcomes:

  • Objectives – Ambitious, high-level goals that inspire progress.

  • Key Results – Measurable milestones that track progress toward achieving objectives.

Project vs. Product Management

As a Project Manager, Lerna ensures projects meet deadlines and budgets while managing team coordination. Success in this role requires strong organizational skills.

As a Product Manager, her focus shifts to prioritization, market research, and adapting to dynamic challenges. Product management is more fluid than project management, often requiring quick adjustments based on evolving business needs. The success of the product falls on the product manager, so it comes with much more accountability than project management. 

Technical Adaptability & Managing Scope Creep

Lerna has worked across various programming languages, ecosystems, and teams. Each project presents unique challenges, requiring her to quickly grasp new technical concepts.

One challenge project management is Scope Creep—when additional features or requirements are introduced without prior discussion of timelines, budgets, or resources. Avoiding scope creep is critical for maintaining project efficiency.

Industry Challenges & The Future of Web3

Lerna notes that while many companies are exploring similar blockchain solutions, the industry faces a shortage of skilled engineers and developers, driving high demand for expertise in this space.

When asked about the future of her work, she emphasizes the difficulty in long-term predictions, given the fast-evolving nature of blockchain technology.

Hiring & Interview Insights

When evaluating candidates, Lerna prioritizes:

  • Soft skills & collaboration – Technical talent is valuable, but teamwork is essential.

  • Preparation & company knowledge – Candidates who research the company stand out.

  • Honesty & authenticity – Genuine, self-aware candidates make a stronger impression.

  • Technical skills in Rust,Solidity & Go (Golang) – Highly valuable in the Web3

Web3 & Its Impact

Web3, also known as Web 3.0, represents a shift toward decentralizing the internet, giving users greater control over their data and digital interactions.

What Drives Lerna

What Lerna values most about her work is the opportunity to explore diverse perspectives, tackle complex challenges, and build things that have never been done before. While it can be frustrating at times, the excitement of discovery makes the journey worthwhile.

Dan McElroy, President of the West Virginia Coding Club shared,"We are excited to have an international speaker on global and emerging technologies, Blockchain and Web3. Thank you Lerna for your insights and guidance for our WV Coding Club students!"

Thank you, Lerna!

Keep Coding!

High School students can now earn college credits through the West Virginia Coding Club!

High School students can now earn college credits through the West Virginia Coding Club!

This just launched program will help our students jumpstart their education journey, reduce tuition expenses, and graduate faster.

Students will be able to earn College Credit through four initial classes that are offered:

These courses have been created by college professors and are approved by the American Council on Education (ACE) and/or the National College Credit Recommendation Service (NCCRS). The credits are accepted at over 1,500 educational institutions.

The initial courses include:
- Introduction to HTML and CSS
- Introduction to JavaScript
- Programming in Python

-Cybersecurity

-Data/security

-Programming with AI



This is another amazing reason to join and/or support the West Virginia Coding Club! As this new program opportunity gains traction the plan is to add more coding related college credit courses.

Dan McElroy, President of the WV Coding Club explains, "This is another career-preparing opportunity for our students to experience and we are excited about  the continued growth of our coding curriculum."


Want opportunities like this for your student or a student you know? Apply today or reach out to us to learn more.

Keep Coding!

Guest Speaker: Aaron Silber, Full Stack Developer, WV Department of Education

Guest Speaker: Aaron Silber, Full Stack Developer, WV Department of Education

The West Virginia Coding Club was fortunate to have Aaron Silber speak and share insights with our students at a recent meeting.

Aaron grew up in Clendenin, West Virginia, attending Middle School and High School (Herbert Hoover HS) there. The electronic landscape was different when he was growing up compared to today. There were no smart phones yet and most families had only one Personal Computer (PC - Desktop). 

Aaron grew up with an immense curiosity and liked taking things apart and putting them back together to better understand how things worked. Once he had access to a computer he wanted to know how it worked and what it could do. His family got access to the internet shortly after getting the computer, so a whole new world opened up for Aaron.

Aaron's first program he created was in 2000, C++, writing a hangman game.

When he was a teenager, his younger brother accidentally threw his Gameboy in the toilet. It was mixed feelings as his Gameboy was destroyed, but he got to take it apart and see how it was made.

Aaron had a teacher named Danny Harris who had previously worked for NASA and was a programmer. From what Mr. Harris shared with students, he worked in a secure vault because his work was top secret, Mr. Harris set a high bar for achievement with his students and Aaron. Under Mr. Harris, Aaron learned how to build very basic web sites. During his Senior Year - Web Development 4, the curriculum was fairly open and had students build websites for local businesses. This set Aaron on a path to realize he could make money from this type of work

Once Aaron reached the end of High School, he was unsure of where to go next, as colleges had computer science degrees, but did not have the coding development programs that he wanted so he could be able to make more websites quickly.

Aaron decided to go to West Virginia State University on scholarship and majored in Business and Marketing. 

He got a job with a major brand company and got promoted in a job he did not like. Aaron saved money, was a newlywed, and decided if he didn’t pursue the developer role opportunity, he never would. He left retail with no backup plan (not recommended). Aaron took clients and worked like a crazy person. Inexperienced at that point, but his business education and experience working with stakeholders and businesses in different agencies and roles benefited his hard work. In 2008 there were difficult financial times, making it harder to find and keep clients.

Then he joined the West Virginia State Department of Education as a Full Stack Developer, someone who works with both Front End and Back End of the website(s). Professionally , he has been a developer since 2010 - 14 years. With Full Stack development, the approach is an architectural perspective to connect both Front End and Back End. With Front End - developers use HTML, CSS, Javascript (Browser)

With Back End - It Stores information - access - DB (Server Technology)

Developers now can actually use a lot of javascript on Backend. 

With Websites you can view source code. Open it so you can see the code, He learned a tremendous amount by looking at other people’s code.

The vast majority of browsers are run by the same engine - Chromium. In working with web sites, the capabilities of the devices that need to access your website impact the user experience. The vast majority of web sites are now accessed by smart phones. It is important to understand who our audience is? Desktop versus mobile experience can be a dangerous trap. Ultimately you have to pick a couple device types to focus on. It is expensive to tune applications to devices. Each browser has different capabilities and can change how the web site looks and works.

Aaron is also a woodworker designing and building wood projects. He had to repair the jointer, taking it apart and replacing and then put it back together and. . .  it worked! He gets a lot of satisfaction from building and solving challenges.

What can students do for a living in technology?

Aaron says there are many adjacent positions that work with and support developers. UX/UI - design, design research, so many specialized pieces.

A valuable development with web sites is accessibility, helping people with disabilities to have special ways to interact with websites. There are certain guidelines / standards to meet to help them access sites. This work has been important to Aaron for a long time. In the case of someone who is blind, but can hear, they can hear the title and chapters to select different paths. If it doesn't work correctly, it is easy for someone to get lost pretty quickly. There are tools that can audit websites as those tools are being developed.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be a valuable tool for a developer. When trying to learn a new language or new framework, AI assistant in code editor, Github Co-Pilot. Someone can suggest functions for code or ask how to improve a section of code. AI is still developing and can be incorrect. When AI has an error - it is called a "Hallucination". AI tools can help with detecting security issues. 

Going forward it is important that you provide more value than AI.

Advice from Aaron:

1. Stay Curious! Continue to learn!

2. In preparing for your first job, it is important to show proof of your ability. 

3. Find learning opportunities - get involved in Open Source Technologies, coding or adding documentation. So many ways to connect with projects.

4. When you are young, you have time, but not money. Invest your time - best thing to invest in is your education.

5. Prioritize your learning through other people. Ask questions! Find those people.

6. Every day in coding you are creating / understanding / repairing, embrace it.

7. There is a GitHub Student Pack that is FREE, check it out!

8. Some Resources: Codepin.io, Console.log Console.table, HTML, CSS, Javascript, Node.js

Dan McElroy, President of the WV Coding Club shared, "Aaron has given amazing perspectives and insights for our WV Coding Club students. Thank you Aaron for investing time and valuable information!"

Keep Coding!

Guest Speaker Robyn Delk, Web Developer, ASP

Guest Speaker Robyn Delk, Web Developer, ASP

ASP - Associated Systems Professionals

At our most recent WV Coding Club meeting we had great insights from a Web Developer at Associated Systems Professionals (ASP), Robyn Delk. She has worked for ASP for over four and a half years, but has been in web development for over 17 years. Robyn shared she was originally from Idaho, but moved to West Virginia. She did not have a straight path into Coding, Web Development, and UX/UI (User Experience / User Interface).

 

Her first exposure to computers was in Kindergarten with an Apple IIc computer where she used a program that allowed her to make decisions, which she found fascinating. Her fascination came when she could press some arrows on the keyboard and watch the computer respond to her responses. She shared that her Dad was also like that, an electrician, who would put wires together to get a desired outcome.

 

After high school Robyn went into the military, which also brought her to West Virginia. She has four children and when they were young, she was pursuing her Software Engineering degree. She was learning Java and had lots of challenges while also raising young children. Robyn seemed to hit a "brick wall" in completing one of her classes. She was upset and felt defeated, but she stuck with it and in the end was successful. It was very rewarding for her.

 

She attended Colorado Technical University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science Information Technology in Software Engineering, but it doesn’t directly apply to what she currently does for work. She describes that she stumbled into a Web Developer role when she saw a job posting looking for a year experience with a go getter attitude. Education provided a good foundation, but much was learned on the job. As part of her education, she completed a capstone project and developed a portfolio of work for interviews.

 

At her current job Robyn does Front-end Web Development and UX/UI (User Experience / User Interface) design.

She primarily uses HTML, CSS, some JavaScript, and jQuery in her work. Robyn is able to work from home, but her job didn't start out that way. However, she works in a team-oriented environment that is very beneficial to completing projects.

 

If you're a Web Developer, you can work on front-end, back-end, or both.

1. Front-end is what people see

2. Back-end is what people don’t see, data from outside sources, payment processors or databases

 

Advice from Robyn:

1. When you have a problem giving you fits, problem solving skills go a long way. 

2. Use the "20 minute rule", look first yourself for resources, then ask for help. You can ask teammates or participate in online forums. No one should ever feel embarrassed to ask questions; you’ll never know it all. Collaboration is key.

3. Be curious, break it, learn.

4. When interviewing, your ability to collaborate is a key skill.

5. Coding is not for the faint of heart, but it isn't hard, it just requires perseverance. Don’t give up on yourself!

6.  Go to school, learn all you can, but experience increases ability for compensation.

7. Once you learn logic and a coding language, then learning other languages becomes easier. At that point, it’s just a matter of learning the syntax.

 

With all the types of devices that can display a website, she helps to ensure that what she builds is a "responsive" website, which must be paid attention to when writing code. Many websites are built inside of a Content Management System (CMS) which helps to manage much of the website’s basic components, but developers should still know how to build websites outside of these systems.

In her current role, she doesn’t really use Artificial Intelligence (AI), yet, but it can be utilized to assist.

 

ASP is based in Charleston, West Virginia and is a Managed IT Services, Application Development, and Web Design Company, operating since 2004. They now support companies in practically every industry to include governmental agencies. They compete with out of state groups in their work, and several firms that do similar work in WV, so it is challenging, and they must stand out in a special way. Sometimes winning a project comes down to price and sometimes reputation. If you do great work and you provide great service, clients like that and will continue to work with you.

 

Robyn was asked how do you compete with AI for building websites?

There are a lot of things AI cannot do. AI does not know a company’s goals or recognize fully the needs of their project.  It does not know how to prioritize what is important.  It is still easy to make a living even with AI's potential.

 

How often do you use jQuery?

Daily either reading or writing it. jQuery is very embedded into the web development world.  There are several languages and frameworks that can be used in web development and application development. Some of these we see frequently are Python, PHP, C# (C Sharp), and .NET.

 

Dan McElroy, President of the WV Coding Club said, "Thank you Robyn for your insights and sharing your story. It is great to see people and companies in West Virginia doing great  in the IT industry. Our students learned a lot from your talk.”

 Thank you, Robyn!

Keep coding!!

 

Guest Speaker: Arianna Ford, Programmer, West Virginia DEP

Guest Speaker Arianna Ford, Programmer at West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection

The West Virginia Coding Club started their Labor Day weekend off with a wonderful speaker, Arianna Ford. Arianna attended Lincoln County High School in West Virginia and pondered what her future career may be. Having enjoyed research through her schooling she decided to list out and apply metrics to all her potential future careers to determine her path forward. 

She had to make this choice during a challenging time in our world, the COVID Global Pandemic, a time of much uncertainty. She wanted a career where she would be happy in her work life and allow her to also be happy in her home life. Once the research was completed, she found that becoming a coder / programmer checked every box and was the path to seek in education and for her career.

Once Arianna chose that direction, another question she encountered was how much education was needed to pursue her career choice, when she hadn't really had coding experience previously. She focused on an Associates Degree at BridgeValley Community and Technical College here in West Virginia. Her beginning was challenging, not having that previous preparation which ultimately brought her to a crossroads. At that point she renewed her commitment and decided to give it everything she had towards earning her degree. During college, she learned Python, C Sharp, and SQL.

After graduating, Arianna decided to seek out job opportunities and if not successful after a year she would go back to earn her Bachelor's degree. However, in a short time she found an opportunity at the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection and has been there almost a year and loves it. She works with Powerbuilder, JavaScript, and SQL. 

She works on a variety of programming efforts, helping to fix bugs, develop forms and primarily works individually but is part of a larger programming group. The most challenging aspect is the communication of understanding what staff want and then trying to understand what can be done within the construct of the programs.

Arianna's Advice to the WV Coding Club Students:

Do what makes you happy! If you aren't happy, then why are you doing it?

Try your hardest! If you want it, then why wouldn't you give it your all?

Ask for help, if you need it. Don't be afraid or too proud to ask for help.


President of the West Virginia Coding Club, Dan McElroy said, “We are thankful for Arianna’s time and insights for our West Virginia Coding Club students. Her enthusiasm and story help our students understand why they are learning about coding and the opportunity for the future. We particularly appreciate her comment that she wished that she had had this program when she was in high school.”

Thank you Arianna!

Keep Coding!

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