From Prison to Programming
Rick Wolter was an an angry, underprivileged kid who spent the majority of his adult life in prison for murder. When he read about a program at San Quentin that was teaching inmates to code, he set about teaching himself that skill by reading printed blog articles, books and smuggled Youtube tutorials and Python programming language.
Upon his release from prison, Rick obtained an associates degree in Computer Science and Analysis, enrolled in Lambda School, (a coding bootcamp) and built on his self-taught skills.
Rick now works as a computer programmer and is building a community to connect formerly incarcerated and underprivileged individuals who are learning to code with industry professionals.
We discussed his mindset and environment growing up, the relationships that made a difference and what kept him stable and helped him mature while he was incarcerated. If you're discouraged by your environment or circumstances, Rick's story will inspire you to take action to turn things around.
Rick and his brother
Rick and his wife on release day
Rick and his brother on release day
Discreet Skills Discussed on the Show
Since his only work experience was at a "Burger King" before prison, Rick was determined to obtain skills to give him a chance on the outside. The demand for coders caught his attention and he got creative to begin teaching himself while he was still incarcerated.
- Python
- Java-script
- Twitter as a connection tool
- Swift programming language
- .NET framework
- C# programming language
- Slack.com
Learn More and Connect with Rick
- Connect with Rick on Twitter.
- Want to go further down the Rick Wolter rabbit hole through his blog?
- Follow along or contribute to the Underdog Devs community of formerly incarcerated coders.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.