Purpose-driven work, career discovery, equity in tech

Topics Discussed:

• David's early career inspirations and turning points
• Founding and growing Resilient Coders
• Why equitable access to tech careers matters
• Advice for young people exploring their own paths

Links & Resources:

David Delmar Sentíes

Resilient Coders

David’s TEDx Talk

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📩 Have a guest suggestion? Reach out to Shelby@educatemaine.org

Hannah Greene:

• Senior Workforce Development Specialist at Educate Maine.
• Contact: hannah@educatemaine.org.
• Expertise in registered apprenticeship programs and workforce development.

Registered Apprenticeship: Registered Apprenticeship is an industry-driven, high-quality career pathway where employers can develop and prepare their future workforce, and individuals can obtain paid work experience, receive progressive wage increases, classroom instruction, and a portable, nationally-recognized credential. Registered Apprenticeships are industry-vetted and approved and validated by the U.S. Department of Labor or a State Apprenticeship Agency.

Further Learning Resources:

• Educate Maine's apprenticeship homepage: Maine Career Catalyst - Registered Apprenticeship & Pre-Apprenticeships
• Maine Apprenticeship Program website: Maine.gov - Apprenticeship
• Apprenticeship.gov: Apprenticeship.gov

Connect with us:
💼 Follow the podcast for more inspiring career stories
📩 Have a guest suggestion? Reach out to Shelby@educatemaine.org

Hayden Fielder, a senior from Londonderry, New Hampshire, is soon to enter his fourth year at Husson University. Attracted by the football program and the IT degree, Hayden has excelled both on the field and in academics. Recently awarded 2nd Team All Conference in the CCC football conference, Hayden's journey includes internships at various organizations, from Husson's Help Desk to renowned companies like Fuss & O'Neill and Beal University. His upcoming stint at the International Association of Privacy Professionals marks another milestone in his impressive career trajectory.

Jacob Brown, a sophomore at Husson, is pursuing dual majors in CIS and Accounting and anticipates graduating in either 2026 or 2027. Alongside his academic pursuits, Jacob contributes as a distance swimmer for the university's swim team. Outside of his athletic commitments, he works as a lifeguard and enjoys hitting the gym regularly. His leisure time is dedicated to tabletop gaming, a passion he shares with friends.

Edward Jarnich, a student majoring in XR (extended reality) at Husson University, shares his journey from NESCOM's film production program to discovering his passion for XR at the IEX Center. As one of the pioneering cohorts in the XR program, Edward has immersed himself in various technologies, including LED walls and virtual production systems, through his work-study opportunities. Beyond academics, Edward has embraced skateboarding, basketball, and other hobbies facilitated by Husson's enriching campus environment.

Husson University

Computer Information Systems

Extended Reality (XR)

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💼 Follow the podcast for more inspiring career stories
📩 Have a guest suggestion? Reach out to Shelby@educatemaine.org

Project Login's Program Specialist Shelby Bryant interviews Michelle DeBlois. Michelle is a Maine-based former educator and Founder & CEO of the ReMo App. Michelle also happens to have been Shelby's 6th grade science teacher.

Listen to learn how Michelle designed and developed this app and how she is working with schools to improve literacy.

https://remo.app/

Connect with us:
💼 Follow the podcast for more inspiring career stories
📩 Have a guest suggestion? Reach out to Shelby@educatemaine.org

In this episode, Angela interviews Ashley Drexler. Ashley is a Software Engineer II oat Fieldstack in Portland, ME. She shares her education and career pat as well as advice for young people looking to get into the field. A former UMaine Orono grad and woman in tech, she also tells us what her favorite place in Maine is.

Note: Ashley also worked with me coordinating CS Connected programming during the pandemic. Learn more about CS Connected here: https://umaine.edu/csconnected/

Connect with Ashley on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashdrex/

Learn more about careers at Fieldstack on their website: https://www.fieldstack.com/careers

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📩 Have a guest suggestion? Reach out to Shelby@educatemaine.org

Meet CTO Trevor Gionet from Omnic.AI

Omnic.AI is a startup based in Brunswick, Maine focusing on developing a community of gamers who are gaining insights to their gameplay via the Forge platform and AI insights. Learn about Trevor's education and career paths that led him to where here is today. Trevor discusses the company, its culture and current opportunities.

Check out their careers page: https://omnic.ai/careers.html

Connect with Trevor on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tjgionet/

Connect with us:
💼 Follow the podcast for more inspiring career stories
📩 Have a guest suggestion? Reach out to Shelby@educatemaine.org

In this episode, Reilly and Shelby chat with Ashley, Technology Compliance Analyst at Systems Engineering. Systems Engineering is based in Portland. Ashley shares how she got into this work and gives advice to people looking to get into the industry. Ashley is also featured on Project>Login's Circuts of Success.

Connect with Ashley on LinkedIn and learn more:

Systems Engineering is a 100% employee-owned IT strategy and managed services provider dedicated to enabling the exceptional in clients nationwide.

We are a reliable, accountable technology partner with a culture of positivity. In support of our mission, Systems Engineering undergoes a SOC 2 audit of our environment to ensure our organization meets the standards dictated by the Trust Service Principles (Security, Availability, Processing Integrity, Confidentiality, and Privacy). As a result of successfully completing yearly SOC 2 audits, we assure our clients that our policies and procedures are consistently followed. Our SOC 2 Report is available to clients upon request.

System Engineering’s team of 150+ network engineers, managed security professionals, project managers, data management experts, and account managers are available 24×7, 365 days per year, to meet the needs of our clients. From network design and installation to a full complement of managed IT, IT security, and cloud services, we have an IT solution that will allow your organization to reach its full potential – and enable the exceptional.

Connect with us:
💼 Follow the podcast for more inspiring career stories
📩 Have a guest suggestion? Reach out to Shelby@educatemaine.org

In this episode, Angela and Shelby chat with Anthony DeBery, the Chief Operating Officer at Garrand Moehlenkamp. Garrand is based in Portland. Anthony shares how he got into this work and advice for people looking to get into this work.

Connect with Anthony on LinkedIn and learn more:

Garrand Moehlenkamp (GM) is an independent brand-building agency in Portland, ME dedicated to Growing the World’s Most Craveable Brands. Our team of strategists, creatives, and makers partner with businesses to deepen connections between audiences and their brands – connections that turn strangers into customers and customers into irrational loyalists.

We are guided by our belief that everyone has core cravings that great brands can nourish. It's one of the important ways we activate consumer-centric brand strategies and deploy smart, empathetic creative ideas designed to solve unique business problems. Our team is agile and adaptable, helping our clients achieve growth — in the short term and for generations to come.

We are currently working with brands such as Shipley Do-Nuts, Inspire Brands, Louisiana Fish Fry, New England Coffee, American Family Care, Berlin City Auto Group, Summit Automotive Partners, Great Works Internet, Central Maine Power, MaidPro, and Threshold Brands.

Connect with us:
💼 Follow the podcast for more inspiring career stories
📩 Have a guest suggestion? Reach out to Shelby@educatemaine.org