This interview is part of the City of Philadelphia’s Most Diverse Tech Hub initiative. Campus Philly is featuring the “Philly stories” of Black and Brown tech founders, entrepreneurs, and young professionals who are making an impact in the region, demonstrating why the Philadelphia region IS the most diverse tech hub.
Terrell Singletary is a Software Engineer at J.P. Morgan, and a graduate of the Tech Elevator 14-week coding bootcamp. Terrell currently lives in Philadelphia, and while he’s not a Philly native, he’s embraced the culture of the city and enjoys almost every aspect of living in the area (though he could definitely go without the parking tickets). You can find Terrell on Instagram at @omegamuffin and connect with him on LinkedIn.
Tech Elevator is a 14-week coding bootcamp and hiring network with programs across the country, including Philly. Interested in collaborating, innovating, and making an impact in Philadelphia through Tech Elevator’s 14-week coding bootcamp? Learn more about Tech Elevator here.
Check out our interview with Terrell Singletary, Software Engineer at J.P. Morgan, below:
What inspired you to pursue the coding program at Tech Elevator?
I always wanted to go into software development, even since I was younger. I took a few college courses in Computer Science, but I was never able to complete the degree due to working full-time.
When COVID hit, I was working in sales. At the beginning of the pandemic, a lot of people were losing their jobs and weren’t able to make purchases, which made it more difficult to do my job. So when a friend told me how she often gets job applicants who graduated from Tech Elevator, I decided to look into the coding school myself and, with COVID, I felt it was the best time to commit to what I wanted to do.
After attending Tech Elevator’s matchmaking event, where coding bootcamp students meet with companies to interview with them, a recruiter reached out to me and told me that one of the managers wanted me to join their team. I met with the manager of the team I’m currently on, and I was offered a position soon after.
What was your favorite project from your time at Tech Elevator?
My favorite project was a comic book collection tracker. I got to work with some of my favorite classmates to work on something that I thought was a lot of fun. The comic book tracker was our final project and was a culmination of everything we learned. I had a hand at both the front end elements and back end elements and to see what my team and I were able to was such an amazing experience.
How did your college experience help to shape you as an individual?
I made a lot of great friends in college. Many of them have supported me on my journey and I appreciate them more than they know.
What’s your favorite thing to do in Philly?
Eat. There’s so many options around the city, I like to walk around and find a new place to try. I’m hoping to try out Down North Pizza next.
