At iOS bootcamp, DevMountain students have the opportunity to learn how to develop iOS apps by working on real projects that they can add to their portfolios. They also have the opportunity to work closely with a team of iOS developers who have real-world experience.
We wanted to make an introduction to our iOS Development Instructional Staff since our students become close with them while they’re taking their iOS Development Course.
See below to meet the team!
Meet Karl Pfister. He’s our iOS Program Director.
How Karl got into iOS development
I was working for Apple, Inc. as a corporate trainer before I decided to pursue iOS development. My 9-5 was all about building community and helping adults learn how to use our internal technology; I loved every minute of it. But one day it hit me: I’ve spent the last four years teaching Apple technology and I’ve seen how it can enrich someone’s life, but I can only impact those that I get to teach. Why not learn how to be a developer in this amazing ecosystem and reach more people? The next day I applied to DevMountain and found my passion.
Why Karl loves iOS development
First, the iOS programming language, Swift, has only been around since 2014, meaning someone starting out begins on a more level playing field than some of the older programming languages. What’s even better, they are on the forefront of an ever changing programming environment; I think that’s incredible! The second reason I love being a developer is that I can come up with an idea and instantly start building it into reality. It makes you feel powerful, ya know?
Why Karl loves teaching iOS development
I get no greater joy than helping someone discover skills they never thought they would have. Whether it was helping a grandmother learn how to upload her grandkids’ photos into her phone like back in my Apple days, or, helping someone discover a passion for development and seeing that they truly are capable of the ‘magic.’ The best moment as an instructor is when someone I’m helping has their ‘A-Ha’ moment; the moment when it all ‘clicks’. There is nothing better!
What Karl does when he’s not developing
I am a huge Game of Thrones fan. Even though my middle name is Wolf, I think that House Martell is the best house. Their words of “Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken” speak to me of perseverance and grit. Skills which I am constantly improving on – aside from nerding out on Game Of Thrones – I really enjoy road biking, kayaking, and golf (even though I’m terrible at Golf).
Okay, now meet Trevor Adcock. He’s an iOS mentor.
How Trevor got into iOS development
I always have and always will be a closet nerd. I attended DevMountain the summer of my Senior in college. I had six credits of a finance degree to finish, but had this funny feeling I needed to give programming a try. I fell in love with it the first week I was at DevMountain.
Trevor’s experience with iOS development and why he loves it
I like to tell people that Swift is more of a work-of-art than a programming language. That’s not exclusively hyperbole either; I genuinely do see a tremendous amount of beauty in the work I get to do every day. Engineering tends to receive the stigma of a rigid uncreative discipline, but my experience has been the absolute opposite as I have watch myself, my coworkers, and my students tap into creative problem solving abilities I never would have expected.
Why Trevor loves teaching iOS development
I love taking this subject that seems so daunting to people and making it approachable. I live for the moment, that light bulb goes off, and some say “Oh, that’s not bad at all.” I get to watch students go from completely clueless to developers, enthralled by the new potential of everything they can create in a very short amount of time.
What Trevor does when he’s not developing
When I’m not coding, you’ll probably find me at any decent indie or alternative concert around Salt Lake City, posting up at a coffee shop with a Kindle, or at the gym looking for any excuse to skip leg day. My favorite band is currently a 7-way tie between The 1975, Alabama Shakes, John Mayer, Hippo Campus, Glass Animals, alt-J, and The Shins.
So there you go. There’s an introduction to some of the staff that our students work with.
[cta id=”967″ vid=”0″]
