Nick Gordon
Nick Gordon (he, his, him) - Coding Mentor
Detroit native. Gamer. Empowering tech.
As a coding mentor at the Academy, Nick Gordon loves to offer perspectives to fellow learners. To be able to take an idea and find ways to make it better or to offer alternatives. Nick Gordon loves to challenge learners to become self-sufficient lifelong learners.
Nick Gordon also contributes to both the Detroit and Tech Community by attending Networking events and doing public speaking on Tech topics to spread knowledge. Nick also does a lot of small coding projects as a side hobby to emphasize lifelong learning and show some of these through short coding videos on LinkedIn called “Swift Sessions.” Nick is a true believer of teach backs to show comprehension of a subject and to share knowledge.
Prior to joining the Academy, Nick Gordon attended Baker College of Flint from 2013-2020 and worked as a mortgage underwriter at rocket from 2020-2022.
Nick Gordon got his degree in Mechanical Engineering at Baker College of Flint. When not in the Academy, you can find Nick Gordon gaming on his PC, somewhere in Detroit as he is a Detroit native, hanging out with friends and family and participating in bonding activities such as bonfires, or on LinkedIn making his Swift Sessions Videos.
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What would your fellow mentors say your greatest strengths are?
My abilities to emphasize with a lot of individuals, being analytical with situations.
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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, trust the process, and to never compare your journey to another learner. I had a bad habit of comparing myself when I was a learner and the moment I stopped and only focused on my personal growth, I really started growing and had fun with the process.
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Have you always wanted to work in tech? What is your personal history with tech?
I’m new to tech. My history with tech was a college class on programming with MatLab. I do have a gaming PC and have friends and IT. That was the most exposure I had.
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What was your experience with coding, tech, iOS, or entrepreneurship before the Academy?
Before the academy, I had little coding experience, was not mainly into Tech, and I hated iOS due to iPhone users being “boguie/stuck up”. I would have never imagine liking the iOS ecosystem and being a iOS developer that I am today.
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What made you want to be a mentor? What are you most excited about?
I always love teaching/tutoring/mentoring. My first job was at college as a Math tutoring where I tutored learners from pre-algebra all the way to Calculus 1. When I heard about the Apple Developer Academy, I thought it was too good to be true. The fact there it was actually in the heart of Detroit and not in Royal Oak like the Detroit zoo. You get offered free tech, parking, and a stipend of a qualify and all you have to do is just show up and be a team player.
Entering the space and for the first time, I didn’t feel like the minority, I was just excited to learn and pass knowledge on to my classmates to help them excel in their personal endeavors.
As a mentor Im most excited to meet new people, make new connections, and strengthened my existing connections. Im excited to be a mentor and a role model as a Detroit native. -
Where are you from and where do you live now?
Born and raised in Detroit, and currently staying in Detroit and looking to buy a house within Detroit.