Brad DeFauw is a Software Engineering and Data Coach at Multiverse. Brad shares his journey from teaching math and computer science in high school to coaching apprentices at Multiverse, giving us a glimpse of the impact his career transition from education to tech had on his life and what this job means to him.
“I started to learn how to code because I wanted to become a better math teacher and it took me to computer science. I then saw the impact that coding could have on my students and their lives, and how much enjoyment they got out of doing it. At the end of the day, all I can really ask for as a teacher is to teach people who are motivated to learn the material you’re passionate about. Being highly demanded skills, these programs really have the ability to transform people’s lives.”
Brad’s Background
Brad’s passion for teaching goes back to his high school years. As a member of the National Honors Society, he was tasked with mentoring and tutoring other students in his high school. While he didn’t have the intention of becoming a teacher then, that experience made him realize how meaningful that work was to him and the impact that teaching someone something new had in their lives. He went on to become a math teacher, teaching for a decade at different high schools across the country before transitioning to Multiverse.
When asked about his experience as a teacher, Brad shared “the romantic in me wanted to make the world a better place, and it means everything to me to be able to see those light bulb moments and see students get really passionate about something”. He also shared that he’ll always consider himself a teacher first- even in his current role as a Coach at Multiverse.
From Math to Computer Science
There was a turning point in his career. At the last high school he taught before transitioning to Multiverse, Brad taught an elective class on computer science. He started looking into the tech field as a desire to become a better math teacher- as he saw the relationship between math and coding, and realized that computer science was where the future was headed and a skill that would be in high demand.
“I would have kids come up to me and say they didn’t even realize that this was an option for them. This changed my perspective and made me realize I wanted to go this route in my career path. It meant a lot to me to have this type of impact, and to help people create better realities for themselves, their families and future children. It’s really at the core of who I am as a person.”
However, Brad’s desire to continue his professional development in this field was met with lots of limitations in the high school system and a curriculum that hadn’t been updated much over the years. That’s when he started to look for coding courses on his own and brought that knowledge back to teach elective courses in high school that became very popular.
Why Multiverse? Development + Mission Driven
In his relentless pursuit of continued development in coding and software engineering, Brad found Multiverse and realized that the opportunity provided the intellectual stimulus he had been missing. On top of that, he found Multiverse’s mission to be fully aligned with his core values.
“I realized that the systems that we had in place in education were not working for so many of our students, especially in my experience with majority Black and Hispanic students. I was frustrated with the fact that we were pushing so hard for them to pass tests to get into college, and then I would see them dropping out after a year or two and taking low-paying jobs while carrying student debt. I really do care about equity - giving people access to opportunities like the ones I had as a kid growing up, which in turn can affect generational change. I believe Multiverse’s model of creating an alternative to college is so needed in this country right now and I wanted to be part of it.”
For Brad, the opportunity at Multiverse checked every box. He could continue his development in coding while at the same time taking part in the mission of creating an alternative to college and a more diverse group of future leaders.
The Transition
Brad found that the skills he had developed as a teacher were 100% transferable to the job.
“It was a really easy transition. It’s still teaching and it’s a job that requires you to think on your feet constantly. I already felt like I had enough tools in my tool belt to do that. My focus now is on getting better and better at coding and learning as much as I can about software development and engineering. It’s really nice that Multiverse encourages me to block off time on my calendar to dedicate to my professional development and growth.”
When asked about the differences between his past experiences and his current role at Multiverse, Brad pointed out that he is able to iterate on things a lot quicker here. In fact, that’s a critical part of his role since the software engineering field is constantly evolving. As a Software Engineering Coach, Brad keeps a pulse on what’s going on and changing in the world and collaborates in applying those changes to the curriculum and his sessions.
Reflecting on the impact that this career transition has had on his life, Brad shared it just made him better:
“Working at a tech company and having a bit more financial freedom is great, but the intellectual stimulus that I get here is much higher than what I’ve experienced before. I feel much more intellectually challenged and my work-life balance is better. When anyone asks about how the job is going, my partner will say that ‘he’s just a better version of himself’.
But honestly, the biggest difference for me is working with the apprentices. They opt-in and they really want to be here, learn and take the opportunity to work hard to change their lives for the better. This is why I signed up for this job in the first place.”
Brad’s Advice
For those looking into a coaching role within technical programs like Software Engineering and Data, Brad’s advice is to start learning how to code. While signing up for a bootcamp or taking courses can seem intimidating at first, he encourages everyone to become a learner again and make a little bit of progress every single day, and have someone that’s going to keep you accountable to achieve your goals.
“For anyone looking to apply to a similar role at Multiverse I would say that I know a change like this can be scary, and especially for teachers, they might be worried about the role not being as fulfilling as they wish. In my experience, I still feel the same purpose that I felt before as a teacher, and my advice is to go for it because we’re really doing incredibly meaningful work here and there are a lot of former educators on the team. If you join Multiverse you’ll be surrounded by some of the most brilliant, capable and kind individuals that I’ve ever worked with in my career.”
How to apply:
The Multiverse team is growing and expanding rapidly in the US. If Brad’s story resonates with you, check out the open US coaching roles on the careers page and get in touch!
