ST. LOUIS, MO — July 8, 2022 — Savvy Coders announces the successful placement of Michael
Kelly, the first STL recipient of the Summer Richards Memorial scholarship, in his dream job of web
developer through its partnership with Accenture Federal Services.
“While Savvy Coders helped me learn the guiding principles of Agile, at AFS I am
learning even more – the frameworks of Scrum and Kanban and I’m serving as a
volunteer for other new hires. It truly is a dream job!”
In January, Kelly, an individual with some knowledge of IT, became the first St. Louis recipient
of Savvy Coders’ Summer Richards Memorial scholarship to pursue his goal of becoming a web
developer. In June, he started a full-time job doing just that and hasn’t looked back.
Savvy Coders is a St. Louis based high-tech training firm with a passion to teach technology to
those in underserved communities. The goal is to increase the amount of technology-related
talent in the St. Louis metro region and to assist graduates in securing highly paid jobs.
Savvy Coders established the Summer Richards Memorial scholarship in May 2021 to honor the
life of Richards, who through her interest in and natural affinity for technology and helping the
less fortunate, embodied the model Savvy graduate. Richards died unexpectedly in May of
2021.
Before starting the Savvy Coders boot camp, Kelly had a job working at Slate, the St. Louis
Agency on Training and Employment, as an IT Support Technician. He knew he liked
technology but hadn’t pursued it as a career since he lacked the training he needed.
“My experience since graduating from Savvy Coders April 2022 Full Stack Cohort has
been incredible as I was able to skill-up and change lanes in my career with new
employment.”
When he learned about Savvy Coders, Kelly saw a path he could follow to help him become
an IT Professional. The Summer Richards Memorial Scholarship made it possible. Coming
to it with not only his dream but determination, Kelly interviewed for and got a job offer from
Accenture Federated Services before completing the boot camp program.
Savvy Coders has partnered with AFS and others to pursue its mission since 2021.
“Our partnership with Accenture Federal Services, and other local businesses, is helping to
fill the desperate need of talent for tech-related positions. These partnerships not only
benefit the companies but the overall community by helping those who would not typically
be considered for careers in technology enhance their skills and secure employment,” said
Elaine Queathem,CEO and Founder of Savvy Coders.
“Mike Kelly was an easy choice to be awarded the Summer Richards Memorial
Scholarship, he was driven to learn more and succeed in a career that for a moment
seemed out of reach. In my heart, I know Summer would approve.”
Savvy Coders offers several courses including the Full Stack Development Boot Camp that
focuses on HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript programming, and the Data Analytics + Python
course to meet the high demand for data-oriented positions.
In addition to the Summer Richards Memorial Scholarship, eligible students can also apply for a
full scholarship for the Savvy Coders boot camps through a
a program made possible by a U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) grant received by the United Auto
Workers – Labor Employment and Training Corporation (UAW-LETC) with support from the
United Auto Workers Region 5 and the state of Missouri.
“Our mission is to teach the basics of web design and programming to everyone with the desire
to learn. Because knowing how to code isn’t just a neat thing to know, it’s an essential skill,” said
Queathem. “Whether you are new to the job market, interested in changing careers, or looking
to add today’s skills to your already extensive expertise, Savvy Coders can give you an
advantage in the St. Louis market and beyond.”