Chad and Ellen Hamel own two locations of theCoderSchool, which offers coding classes and camps for kids — one in Ashburn and a second that just opened in McLean. They also hold down day jobs and raise farm animals. They answered these questions together.
There are so many different businesses to franchise. Why theCoderSchool? Our oldest son went through a lot of health complications when he was a newborn, and we received so much love and support during that time, so we wanted to find a way to give back to our community. We felt theCoderSchool was a great fit for us because our son loves to code, and as health care professionals and data analysts, we understood the importance of logic, critical thinking and coding. We also fell in love with theCoderSchool’s mission and method of teaching kids to code as it provides a high-quality, fun experience while teaching a critical skill for their future.
We also fell in love with theCoderSchool’s mission and method of teaching kids to code as it provides a high-quality, fun experience while teaching a critical skill for their future. Finally, we believe in Hansel (founder and CEO) and Wayne (co-owner). We were so impressed with their great program, and their heart for children’s education. Investing in people is something that is instilled in us, and we believe theCoderSchool is a great way for us to invest in the people in our community including our instructors, students and families.
Why McLean for your second franchise? Ellen grew up in McLean. She is a graduate of Langley High School. She wanted to give back to the community that had given her so much.
Recent stats show Greater Washington has more than 50,000 tech job openings. How do you see the region doing in preparing the workforce for those roles? We think Greater Washington does a great job with higher education and career development because there are so many colleges and universities in the area. We felt that we could bring that same high-quality education to the youth in the area through theCoderSchool. Many of our instructors have expressed that they wish they had theCoderSchool growing up and they are thrilled to be coaches and mentors for our students.
Have you taken theCoderSchool training? We continue to learn from our awesome code coaches all of the time! We both have a passion for learning, so we enjoy participating in theCoderSchool programs by ourselves and with our family.
Have you found kids just have an innate ability to pick up on these things as well, or better, than adults? Yes, kids are very technically savvy these days, and we are always amazed about what they learn and accomplish through our programs. We have very impressive students in all age ranges that can tackle very complex concepts. We enjoy watching them develop their logic and critical thinking as well as their coding skills.
TheCoderSchool isn’t full-time work. What keeps you coming back to your jobs as a nurse and veterinarian? We love our jobs and have a passion for science, medicine and service. However, we both are former clinicians who now use our skills in data analytics to impact populations versus individual patients. We both work from home behind a computer, so theCoderSchool gives the chance to serve and interact in-person with our community. Managing our busy schedules can be challenging, but we are grateful to have a very full life.
Tell us about your farm. How do you fit raising farm animals into your day? We have 10 acres in western Loudoun where we raise alpacas and chickens. We also have orchards where we grow apples and peaches. Chad has an agricultural background and is a veterinarian, so he has always had a passion for farming. Consequentially, we decided we wanted our boys to grow up in the farm environment. Every day, we wake up early to take care of the animals and the farm. We do the work throughout the week just like any family with household chores, except our chores include tractors!
What was your first computer? Chad had a Texas Instrument TI-99/4a. He used it to learn how to code basic at home as an extension to the coding program at his school in the 1980’s. Ellen had a Hewlett-Packard.
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