Kevin Marion (he, him) - Coding Mentor
Workout warrior. Tech enthusiast. Coffee lover.
As a coding mentor at the academy, Kevin encourages learners to trust the process and enjoy the benefits of software development. Kevin looks forward to helping teams put their ideas together and building something great while making an impact in the community.
Prior to joining the academy, Kevin spent half of his career working in education IT as a system administrator and an after-school robotics coach. The second half of Kevin’s professional history was in healthcare IT as a desktop support technician at Ascension St. John Hospital. He ventured into software development in 2019 and believes it was the best decision he’s ever made.
Kevin received and Associate of Applied Science from Macomb Community college, is a member of Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society and participated in the inaugural cohort of the North America Apple Developer Academy. Kevin considers himself a lifelong learner and chose to work in tech because it is an always evolving field. When he’s not sharpening his programming skills, Kevin likes to attend sporting events, travel to new destinations and go on outdoor adventures.
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What would your fellow mentors say your greatest strengths are?
They would say I am always up for a challenge, I never stray from tough tasks. In my eyes, I just need to fail fast. The faster I figure out what doesn’t work, the faster I can figure out what does.
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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?
Keep an open mind and trust the process. As a learner in last year’s cohort, I had a phenomenal experience. This was a journey like no other and I’m so glad I was a part of it.
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Have you always wanted to work in tech? What is your personal history with tech?
Ever since I was a kid. In the 8th grade, I disassembled our family computer in an attempt to install a CD drive. During the process, I corrupted some files and spent an hour on the phone with tech support reinstalling the operating system. I learned visual basic as a teenager and was amazed at a small program I wrote that could tell if a word was a palindrome. I’ve always loved tech.
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What was your experience with coding, tech, iOS, or entrepreneurship before the Academy?
Back in 2019, I made the decision to transition from hardware support to software development. I was exposed to many languages as well as Agile methodology. While taking classes, I also began a C# .NET bootcamp. I told myself I would take two years to shift my career. Soon after, I discovered the opportunity at the developer academy. I’m embarking on a new entrepreneurship journey with my very own tech start up.
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What made you want to be a mentor? What are you most excited about?
Going through the academy as a learner and seeing the immense value it brings. As a born and raised Detroiter, I wanted to be a part of this amazing opportunity here in my hometown.
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Where are you from and where do you live now?
I was born, raised and currently live in Detroit.