Zoe Cutler (she, her, hers) - Coding Mentor
Multimedia weirdo. ADHD gremlin. Poser composer.
As a coding mentor at the Academy, Zoe is passionate about software development fundamentals, app accessibility and hoping to one day master SwiftUI. She draws from her eclectic interests to translate between different areas of expertise. Zoe is frequently seen pretending to be a designer but is most passionate about moonlighting as a facilitator. She is happiest when presenting unfamiliar topics in front of unwitting Academy learners. The Academy approach to learning pushes her to confront the unknown, while embracing improved educational models as part of the radical change she seeks.
Prior to joining the Academy, Zoe pursued opportunities that combined her varied interests, including music theory, data science and creating supportive institutional environments. She most recently worked for the ADVANCE Program at the University of Michigan, where she furthered an inclusive climate for faculty members.
Zoe earned a Bachelor of Music from Oberlin Conservatory and a Master of Music from the University of Michigan. When not in the Academy, you can find her playing trombone, climbing, avoiding her composition commissions, cooking spicy food, making paper snowflakes, throwing ceramic vessels, pretending to be a whole brass quintet on YouTube, forgetting to water her plants and trying a new hobby each week desperately hoping something will work out.
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What would your fellow mentors say your greatest strengths are?
Among the mentors, I am known for listening to everyone with empathy and getting us all on the same page. I’m a passionate compromiser.
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If you were to offer students one piece of advice as they start their journey at the Academy, what would it be?
Jump wholeheartedly into every area available! Everyone can try their hand at idea generation, design, coding, business and presentation. Don’t shy away from the ones you find scary.
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Have you always wanted to work in tech? What is your personal history with tech?
I’m a musician at heart but have been coding since middle school. When I was young, I wanted to be an engineer, but “not the train kind.”
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What was your experience with coding, tech, iOS, or entrepreneurship before the Academy?
Entrepreneurship is an essential skill in the music field. I self-publish my compositions as Zoe’s Sounds Publishing and sell them on my website. In college, I found time to take computer science classes (in between my dozens of ensembles) and most recently took courses in iOS development.
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What made you want to be a mentor? What are you most excited about?
I am so excited about this investment in Detroit’s tech access and literacy. I hope the Academy inspires its learners to invest in their own communities, create new tech jobs that diverge from the debt-creators of Detroit and build tools for radical change.
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Where are you from and where do you live now?
I grew up in Ann Arbor, and in 2020 finally made it to the Big City. I’m very happy to be here. Detroit inspires me.