Around Town

From janitor to web developer in 8 weeks

The Story

Erin Hinson went from custodian to web developer after winning a full scholarship to Tech Talent South’s Charlotte-based web development course.

The Facts

– The scholarship was presented to female applicants by Skookum, a web application development firm in Charlotte, and it included full tuition for the course and a new Apple laptop.

– After the eight-week coding boot camp, Hinson landed a job with Technekes, a tech firm developing digital marketing solutions.

– Before becoming a web developer, Hinson was a custodian.

– Hinson developed an interest in technology at a young age, but, due to difficult circumstances, she was unable to finish school.

The Quotes

– “After winning the scholarship, I thought, ‘That it is amazing. Wow! My life is about to change.’ I’m just really grateful for the opportunity, it still feels a little unreal.” – Hinson

– “I can’t remember the last time I learned something completely new. It was nice to be with other people doing the same thing. It was a bonding experience, being thrown in the deep end.”

C5’s Take

Inspiration for anybody seeking change.

A version of this story first appeared on Detailed BlockPhotos: John D. Simmons/Charlotte Observer; Detailed Block.


James Stewart Jr. is a Charlotte native who enjoys spending his time connecting Charlotte’s startup scene on his blog Detailed Block.

This story was originally published April 27, 2015 at 2:50 PM with the headline "From janitor to web developer in 8 weeks."

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