Hello, my name is Nadezhda Hristeva, and I am a Java mentor and lecturer at Code Academy. To everyone in the academy, I’m Nade, and to the team, I’m one of their “babies.”
My journey with Code Academy began when I was a fourth-year student at UNWE, specializing in “Business Informatics and Communications.” It was my final year at university, and the time had come to make decisions about my future. I had started preparing to go abroad to continue my education and potentially stay there. My brother and mother have lived there for years and were expecting me, but I had always been looking for a way to stay in Bulgaria.
Then came Career Day at the university. I usually don’t attend such events, but a friend of mine picked up a brochure from the Academy. A little later, I looked through it and saw that it was something interesting, so I went back to get a brochure for myself.
Of course, I forgot about the brochure, and it remained unnoticed for a long time. One day, when I was once again contemplating how to stay in Bulgaria, I found it and applied for a Back-end Developer course with Java.
The selection process at the Academy is quite rigorous—interviews, tests, tasks—but I managed to get through it and started my journey towards a new future. I was a shy girl with some programming knowledge from university. The course taught me practical application and deep understanding of programming. The teaching methods, personal approach, and support from the team and mentors helped me a lot, so today I can proudly call myself a programmer.
There were many challenging moments along the way—times when I didn’t understand something and had to review the lectures over and over again. Eventually, I realized that this is normal and that it’s important not to give up. To try again, to read, to write code, and to seek support from the mentors who are there to guide you.
I successfully completed the course and was hired by a company partnered with the Academy, but I never lost touch with the Code Academy team, my coursemates, lecturers, and mentors.
I had the opportunity to develop both in my job and as a mentor for the next Java groups at the Academy. This significantly improved my skills and gave me the chance to help many other young people fall in love with programming and choose to stay and live here.
My dream to live in Bulgaria, to grow in a prosperous field that provides me with opportunities for development, came true thanks to the large community at Code Academy. I’m glad I stayed here and met you all.
I can confidently say that the Academy is like one big family. It is a community of people with a shared mindset, values, and a vision to change the future for everyone. For a better life for those who live and return to Bulgaria, and for the young people who have fought to stay here, like me.
