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After high school Jonathan Warner ’22 was seeking a path to becoming a software engineer that would not involve attending a traditional college.

“I’ve known since elementary school that I wanted to be a software engineer, but the idea of college has never thrilled me,” he recalls. “I found the Computer Science programs of traditional colleges to be archaic and unable to provide necessary skills I knew I would need for being an effective software engineer.”

Then he found ����ֱ�� University of California's Applied Computer Science program – and a path that would lead him to his role today as a UI software engineer at Netflix.

Johnathan couldn’t have written a better script.

“The ACS program at ����ֱ�� really does fill the gaps that a traditional CS college will leave you with and provides so much more as well,” he says. “Everything you do from day one will be another step down the path toward mastery. Seriously. If you want to code, this is the program for you.”

This includes learning theory one minute then immediately applying what you learned.

“If that scares you, don't let it,” Jonathan says. “The network of support from peers, mentors, and instructors the ACS program provides makes sure you never lack the help you need.”
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The ACS course SPD 1.3 prepared Jonathan to develop skills he uses today in the workplace.

“Being teamed up with other students to build an app sounds simple enough, but when it comes down to it you’ll be learning how to mediate, problem solve, and teamwork like you never could otherwise,” he says.

“Sometimes the best way to learn is to be thrown into the fire, and this class does just that in a safe way that emphasizes growth, effective collaboration, and psychological safety.”

Along the way, he found plenty of support – and career advice - from faculty and staff mentors, including ACS instructor Mitchell Hudson and Director of Career Outcomes and Talent Partnerships Casey Spurgeon in the Barowsky School of Business.

“Mitchell Hudson is the ultimate frontend guru, and his impact as a mentor throughout the program was highly significant to me. His comprehensive knowledge of frontend technical interviews, absolute mastery of CSS, and ability to make complex Javascript seem simple make him an absolute asset to any student in the ACS program.”

Jonathan, who was applying for 10 positions every day on Otta.com until he landed the Netflix job, said Spurgeon kept him on track while moving forward on the job search journey.

“This helped make my job search manageable, and ultimately helped me land my current position.”

Ironically, while he had not initially imagined himself attending a traditional university such as ����ֱ��, it was a general education course – part of the ACS program’s CORE curriculum – that led Jonathan to discover a new interest.

“I really enjoyed the gen ed class Art and the Sacred,” he recalls of the course taught by Matthew Davis, adjunct professor of Literature, Language and Humanities in the School of Liberal Arts and Education.

“I’ve never really considered myself an artist, but this course really gave me a chance to explore art and culture in a super safe and constructive space while growing a new perspective on art in our diverse world.”