Two Atlanta-based startups, DigitalCrafts and GoFundVeterans, have teamed up to support veterans who aspire to become web developers. DigitalCrafts is a coding bootcamp headquartered in Atlanta, GA, and offers a 16 Week Immersive Bootcamp transforming beginners into job-ready web developers.
“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with such a great team at GoFundVeterans. We know this partnership is in the best interest of our country’s veterans, and as soon as we met Andrew Kroll, U.S. Army Veteran, we were blown away by his professionalism, determination, and his desire to break into the world of web development,” stated Jake Hadden, Partner at DigitalCrafts.
GoFundVeterans is a crowdfunding platform for those who have served, and/or still serving, to share their personal stories and goals, and allows compassionate individuals to donate to their causes. “I couldn’t agree more with Jake’s comments. We are launching GoFundVeterans to the world with Andrew’s fundraising campaign, and it was important for us to understand that Andrew’s determination and goals were aligned with our team’s overall mission.”
Although DigitalCrafts offers all veterans a $1,000 scholarship to attend their 16-week program, attending a coding bootcamp is still a large financial and time commitment. GoFundVeterans and crowdfunding in general is here to help offset these burdens by allowing individuals and organizations to donate directly to individuals in need, and in this case, veterans and their families.
U.S. Army Veteran, Andrew Kroll, is seeking $13,000 to cover the costs of his tuition, personal laptop, and moving expenses. If you would like to donate to his cause you can visit his fundraising campaign at GoFundVeterans.
MEET ANDREW KROLL: FROM COMBAT TO CODING
Name: Andrew Kroll
Branch of Service: U.S. Army
Role: Infantry & Communications Specialist
Years of Service: 7
Fundraising Goal: $13,000
Tell us about your military career.
“My name is Andrew Kroll and I’m a US Army Veteran. I served in the Army for nearly 7 years. I enlisted shortly after high school as an infantryman, stationed at Ft. Hood, Texas, for 3 years and then left service shortly before 9/11. I joined again a few years after 9/11 and re-classed to a 25U, or a commo guy, to support my country in a time of need. The reason I served almost 7 years is because I was stop-lossed while serving a year in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2008-2009. Additionally, I served in Korea for a year and was deployed to Iraq with 1-10 Cav, 4th Infantry Division (Scouts Out!) out of Ft. Carson, CO.”
What is the money being raised for and how will this help you succeed in your future plans?
“I’ll be attending DigitalCrafts 16 Week Immersive Bootcamp in October 2015 to become a software developer. DigitalCrafts is an Accelerated Learning Program, or ALP, also referred to as a coding bootcamp. Unfortunately, the majority of coding bootcamps are not eligible to receive funding from the GI Bill at this time, although this is something I hope changes in the future, and many are working to make this happen now. One key organization spear-heading this effort is Operation Code, check them out.”
“The immersive program at DigitalCrafts is a 16-week, full-time, very intensive program, during which time I will be unable to work. In addition, I will be relocating to Atlanta in order to attend this school from out of state, incurring all the costs associated with moving, and I am required to purchase an Apple MacBook Pro as well. At this time, I’d very much appreciate help form anyone who is willing in order to reduce the burden of attending the DigitalCrafts immersive program.”
To learn more on Andrew’s cause visit his crowdfunding campaign at GoFundVeterans.
