Meet the Mentors – Meet David 1st March, 2016 CoderDojo wouldn’t exist without the amazing work that our mentors do to help young people develop their tech skills. In the first of a series introducing some of our mentors in Scotland, we meet David, a web developer and mentor at CoderDojo Bridgeton who has been volunteering for the past six months. What age did you start coding? “I didn’t start coding until I was about 15.” How did you get into it? “My interest with computers started, like most kids, with computer games, around the age of 10. Aged 12, I began taking apart our family computer and invariably breaking it. This gave me a basic knowledge of what goes on inside a computer, that I think is important to understand for any coder and also gave me a passion for computers in general. This meant I was sure to take the Computing class when it was offered at school.” What do you enjoy about being a CoderDojo mentor? “I love the idea of being able to help guide and support kids in showing them how exciting and diverse the world of computing can be.” What awesome tip do you have for young coders? “Ask questions! Learn from those around you. The reason we’re all getting to do what we do is because we were able to build and share upon the work done by others before us.” Coding is boring. No? “Coding (Web Development) is not only what I do for a living, but I count myself very fortunate to have fallen into a profession that I actually enjoy and look forward to. You’re a software engineer. You build something from nothing, much like with Lego… and who doesn’t like Lego?! Every day I’m presented with some sort of problem I’ve not yet encountered, some hurdle I’ve got to work out how to solve. Every day is different and that’s why I like it.” What’s your favourite programming language (and why!)? “CSS – Although not a language in itself, it is the backbone of web design and something I feel doesn’t get enough attention. It’s what makes the boring and mundane, fun to look at and interact with. It allows you to show your creative streak and develop an artistic style of your own. Just take a look at websites here built entirely with CSS.” Ant or Dec? “Both, obviously!” What’s the one tech you couldn’t live without? “Chromecast. I recently sold off two large PCs that were connected to a couple of TVs in my flat and replaced them with Chromecasts. They serve the same purpose as those computers did for me, yet are so much more convenient. This feeds into my passion for minimalist design which involves stripping away the unnecessary elements and focusing on what needs to be there. This is a philosophy I carry through to my coding.” If you were a super-hero, who would you be? “I’ll have to go with Iron Man. He has a passion for technology. I can relate to that.” If you’re interested in volunteering to mentor at CoderDojo, great! Get in touch here.