Three voices at the end of 2022

Over 260 students, 42 partner companies and twelve employees - and counting. They all form the ecosystem of 42 Heilbronn. Three voices report on highlights and special moments at and with the programming school.

Maria José Trávez: “Accepting 42 Heilbronn was a live-changing moment for me.”

Maria José Trávez, 42 student since October 2022, talks about the Piscine and her first week in Heilbronn. “When I got the tour of the campus, I knew that this was simply my dream school.” She has 13 years of school behind her and will then try out a degree in computer science at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology from 2019 to 2022. But her learning was always shaped by guidelines set by others - be it teachers, lecturers or professors. “It's completely different here. Here, we develop new solutions with our fellow students and help each other move forward.” Maria emphasizes the steep learning curve. She came to 42 without any prior knowledge, and after just one week, more precisely after her first exam, she was able to help others with coding questions: “I came to 42 without any particular prior knowledge. The fact that I was able to develop helpful knowledge in such a short time makes me happy.”

Debbie Gunkel: “I've been working for nine years, but I've never experienced such a steep learning curve.”

Maria is one of over 260 students at 42 Heilbronn. Satisfaction is high. In fact, 93 percent of students would recommend 42 Heilbronn to others. Hundreds take part in the piscines every few months and the target of 300 is to be reached in 2023. So far, the 42 spirit has been successfully maintained. Debbie Gunkel, Event Manager at 42 Heilbronn, says: “Whether students or team, we've really grown together a bit more in recent months. The team spirit is extremely strong.” The numerous smaller and larger events have contributed to this. Be it the events organized by the students themselves, such as the Scavenger Hunt for the new arrivals or table tennis tournaments, or the KI Festival in mid-July 2022 - for which Debbie was in charge behind the scenes. “The six weeks before the start were very intense. The arrangements with exhibitors and speakers, the complete organization of the event - it started every morning at 7 a.m. and lasted until the evening hours.” In the end, 2,500 people came to Wohlgelegen.The interest in KI has exceeded expectations and Heilbronn is setting an example far beyond the region. Debbie: “I'm really mega-happy that everything worked out.” It's also a personal success for her: “I've been working for nine years, but I've never experienced such a steep learning curve. I've really grown.” Debbie talks about how the entire team has pulled together, how appreciative the collaboration is in general and how she is already looking forward to the 2023 AI Festival.

Manuela Winter: “Full marks for the collaboration!”

Manuela Winter, responsible for HR marketing at Bosch Engineering, is also looking forward to further collaboration. The technology company is one of the earliest cooperation partners of 42 Heilbronn and took on the first 42 intern ever in early summer 2022, holding meetings and workshops with the coding school. Reason one: The compelling learning concept of 42, where it is not important whether you have a degree or not, but that you are passionate about what you do, says Manuela Winter. Reason two: the personal exchange and cooperation at eye level. Together with 42, for example, she is developing a workshop on the topic of job applications, including an excursion to the company premises and background discussions with software and IT experts. Manuela Winter: “With its passion and hands-on mentality, 42 Heilbronn has an absolutely unique selling point in the university landscape. The tasks surrounding our cooperation are among the most enjoyable things - five out of five!” The collaboration is to be further intensified with a view to 2023. Manuela Winter wants to focus even more on the needs of students. The HR manager: “I'm looking forward to developing further cooperation formats together and trying out new things.” Hackathons, capture-the-flag and mentoring projects are currently being discussed.

42 Heilbronn is also very much looking forward to 2023! We want to further develop the curriculum. We want to drive forward IT certifications with partners. And we want to remain the place where students enjoy achieving their goals and developing their skills.