Rutgers Coding Bootcamp Students Give Back to Communities in Need

Some people spend their lives putting others first. Anthony Delgado and Mohammed Wardeh are among those people. After graduating from Rutgers Coding Bootcamp, both experienced major changes in their lives. For Anthony, the bootcamp ignited a passion for hackathons. For Mohammed, it opened doors to a new career and a brighter financial future for his family. 

Grateful for their transformative learning experiences, they decided to devote their time and coding skills to helping other students on similar journeys. Here’s how Anthony and Mohammed are using technology to make the world a little brighter and give back to those in need. 

Anthony Delgado: Creating Entrepreneurial Good

Anthony Delgado was no stranger to the tech world when he decided to enroll in Rutgers Coding Bootcamp in 2017. He already had ten years of coding knowledge under his belt, including professional experience as a web developer and software engineer. But after learning about the bootcamp, Anthony couldn’t resist the opportunity to level up his skills and immerse himself in fun coding projects. 

During the bootcamp, Anthony started attending hackathons with his classmate, Joe Pulaski. Alongside Joe, Anthony won several hacking contests, and even launched his own, called Global AI Hackathon. A year later, Anthony set his sights on entrepreneurship, launching the editorial website Disrupt to provide news to the Latinx community. 

It was shortly after Anthony lifted Disrupt off the ground that Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico. After hearing about its devastating effects, Anthony was eager to help in any way possible. He travelled there, delivering food, water, and solar panels to various cities on the island. Using Disrupt’s platform and resources, Anthony even created a school for coding: The Caribbean Institute of Technology. 

“By teaching coding, we can create an additional economy and create upwards mobility,” he said. “Coding is the canvas that developers can use to innovate, solve problems, and create a new future for the world.”

In addition to launching a school, Anthony tirelessly organized the Disrupt Puerto Rico conference and hackathon. The three-day conference aimed to motivate students, encouraging them to solve major problems on the island by leveraging their technology skills. 

“We are living proof that technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship can transform people’s lives for the better,” said Anthony. “We are planting seeds for our future generations here on the island.”

Mohammed Wardeh: Focusing on Family

Mohammed Wardeh moved to the U.S. because it promised a better future for his wife and young children. But when a revolution broke out in his home country of Syria, he stayed out of necessity, even after money grew tight. His job as a desktop publishing assistant at the United Nations wasn’t paying enough to support his family — so Mohammed sold everything to pay for Rutgers Coding Bootcamp. He hoped that learning to code would blaze a path to a new career with more financial mobility. 

This leap of faith paid off. Before graduating from the bootcamp, Mohammed landed a role within the UN as a front end developer. His good fortune inspired him to give back to others, especially those who are also trying to provide for their families. 

“In my culture, when someone gives you something, you have to give it back,” Mohammed said. “Giving back is an assertion of who we are as humans — that we’re here for each other and need each other more than we can imagine.”

Mohammed is committed to this philosophy. A few years prior, he joined the Army National Guard to give back to the U.S., his new homeland, and he wanted to do the same for Rutgers Coding Bootcamp. Mohammed reached out to the staff, and they suggested becoming a teaching assistant. That spurred Mohammed to return to the bootcamp and help out his former instructor.

“As a TA, I feel like I’m extending my hand to help others who are just like me build a better future for their families,” he said. “The same outstanding experience I felt, I want to help spread that to as many students as I can.”