Jimmy Phan
Jimmy Phan
"My favorite part of Pathways to Tech was sharing and having people critique my work. Clients critique the work, but also compliment it. I said, 'I could work on this. This is something I could possibly do in the future!'"Jimmy Phan onsite at Oracle's Innovations Campus for PREP-KC's Pathways to Technology program
Building Real World Skills
Through PREP-KC's Business & Finance Institute (BFI) and Pathways to Technology programs, Jimmy developed valuable real-world skills that sharpened his public speaking and networking abilities. He shared, "BFI has helped my public speaking, including being able to present in large groups." His BFI experience also included competing in pitch contests as a team and solo. He said, "It opened my eyes to potential business and entrepreneurship opportunities."
Jimmy and fellow members of Allen Village's Class of 2025 show off BFI cords and stoles at their graduation ceremony
Jimmy and his classmates are participating in a pitch competition as part of PREP-KC's Business & Finance Institute
Collaboration and Client-Connected Projects
In Pathways to Technology, Jimmy appreciated the program's emphasis on collaboration on real-world projects. He worked regularly with peers on client-connected projects, including a favorite project designing a website for a local wedding and event planner. As he worked through this project, he said, "Wow, this is something I genuinely want to do! I got to show my creative side, but we also got to code and build programs."
Advice to Younger Students
Jimmy encourages younger students to consider these programs and not to be intimidated. "Of course, you're going to be nervous the first couple of competitions, maybe the first couple of projects--but it's worth it because you get to experience a new part of life." He emphasizes the value of real-world learning vs traditional classroom learning, and highlights critical thinking, collaboration, and persuasive communication as essential skills he developed through these PREP-KC programs.
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