Our recent guest speaker was Mr. Grant Jones, Software Engineer at Microsoft, who is from Morgantown, West Virginia. While growing up in Morgantown, Grant got involved in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and Engineering activities during his school years, like the Pumpkin Drop Challenge. The pumpkin drop challenge is an event where students individually or in teams construct a structure or system, using specific materials to protect the pumpkin from breaking when it is dropped from a significant height. These types of experiences fostered Grant's interest in STEM.
Grant worked as a research assistant in a Biometrics Lab at WVU, which led him to his internship at Lakota Software Solutions, Inc., in Fairmont, where he was involved in biometrics centered coding projects with other interns. Grant graduated from West Virginia University with a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Engineering and a minor in Computer Science and Communications Studies in May of 2020. After graduation, Grant joined Lakota Software Solutions, as a Software Engineer. For those who aren't aware, Fairmont and Clarksburg, WV are like the "Silicon Valley for Biometrics". Grant's job was mostly writing and debugging code (primarily in Java) and developing tools/libraries for other coders to use with biometric devices. A lot of the coding involved researching and implementing algorithms for image capture and manipulation on various devices.
Most of Grant’s work involves “back-end” development, or designing and implementing services and databases to host applications, or for applications to use. Essentially the “behind the scenes” work. He also works with the various cloud services like Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure.
Recently, Grant joined Microsoft as a Software Engineer and moved to the Seattle, Washington area. Microsoft has many remote workers; however, his specific job isn't conducive to remote work, as he has to come in and work with the servers/equipment. Grant is part of an eight member team that works on Microsoft Azure, which is Microsoft’s cloud platform. Grant likes collaborating with his team and others to improve “the cloud” and complete big projects together.
Grant picked up many "tools", skills and experience outside of College, but WVU was beneficial in helping him learn about the different roles, fields, and the fundamentals of coding / Computer Science. Also, WVU was very helpful in connecting with potential employers and future colleagues. When Grant interviewed with Microsoft, he understood that his college degree helped him, but they (and other companies) ultimately look for people who are “nerds”, people who are always wanting to learn, and are excited about solving problems with other enthusiastic developers.
Grant's advice to the students, “The fundamentals are so important, really for whatever you do. Build a good foundation and you can learn and understand any programming language or skill. There is more opportunity in West Virginia than people realize. Seek out these opportunities and get involved in activities and projects outside of school to learn more and build on your fundamentals and expand your skillset and knowledge base.” Grant encouraged the students to develop their coding and problem solving skills so they can be prepared for opportunities and even become entrepreneurs to create jobs to bring Coders and others to West Virginia.
Dan McElroy, President of the West Virginia Coding Club, said with conviction, "Grant is another great example of a West Virginian who has pursued opportunities with his coding skills and has charted a path by way of a coding career through his own hard work. Our students are preparing for these types of opportunities that are growing in West Virginia and around the country. Thank you Grant for sharing your experiences and advice with our WV Coding Club students."
The West Virginia Coding Club thanks Grant Jones for being another example of a West Virginian who is Coding as a career.
Keep Coding!