Darlyze Calixte graduated from a traditional, 4-year university with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, but knew she wanted to pursue a different field. At the time, she was working as an in-store grocery shopper. Fueled by an interest in tech, Darlyze applied to a few different coding schools before ultimately choosing Kenzie Academy’s Software Engineering program.
“It was really important for me to be involved in an institution that actually cared and was actively involved in my journey,” Darlyze said.
From the moment she began her program, Darlyze was excited by the possibilities of what she could begin to build.
“I had seen previous students’ capstones before entering the program,” Darlyze said. “It was amazing to see that you can start from ‘Hello World’ and in a year be able to build these elaborate applications.”
Darlyze dove headfirst into learning everything she could about software and enjoyed the collaborative atmosphere of her classes and group projects.
“My favorite memory is by far the nights I’d spend with a group of classmates I became particularly close to,” Darlyze said. “We promised each other in Q1 that we wouldn’t let each other fail or drop out. It wasn’t an option. So on days when I felt so behind or lost or frustrated, I always had them to rely on to push me through and remind me that I was capable.”
Darlyze emphasized the importance of getting involved with local and online tech communities to maximize your network. She serves as a Twitch streamer and social media manager at Haitians in Tech; she’s a founding member of Baddies in Tech. She also recently signed on to be a volunteer facilitator for G|Code House.
After receiving several job offers, Darlyze is advancing her career as an Associate Software Engineer at Infosys, a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting. Her technical responsibilities will vary, but her main task will be to learn as much as she possibly can — an assignment she is quite excited about.
“Outside of the technical knowledge required for this role, Kenzie taught me how to talk through my process,” Darlyze said. “If you can effectively communicate your reasoning behind what you’re coding, you’re already ahead of the game!”
*This alum graduated from a previous, non-credit bearing, version of the software engineering program.
