Meet Bold Idea Mentor Brennan
Brennan Saul is a software developer at Pariveda Solutions. A Star Wars geek and computer science grad, Brennan mentors a team of 5th to 7th grade students at Rosemont, a Dallas ISD Internal Language Preparatory School in Oak Cliff.
Meet Brennan…
What is something many people don’t know about you?
Growing up I used to make stick-figure videos with a program “Pivot Animator”. They weren’t very good but it was fun to make my own movies!
How did you become interested in technology and programming?
My favorite movie growing up was Star Wars and I was fascinated with all of the futuristic technology in it like lightsabers, droids, and starships! In high school I took my first computer science class and even though writing the programs was really hard it felt so rewarding when I finally solved a tough problem! That sense of accomplishment is what made me want to major in computer science!
What did you study in college?
I majored in Computer Science and minored in Entrepreneurship at Baylor University!
What are you working on now?
I’m am working as a Software Developer for Pariveda Solutions. On my current project I am a full stack developer working with Javascript frameworks and cloud technology services!
What have you gained from being a mentor? What was your most memorable moment while mentoring?
I am mentoring at Rosemont where the students are learning to write programs that interact with the video game Minecraft! My favorite moment was when two students finished writing their first python script. They struggled to write the code and fix all the errors but when the program finally executed successfully and their character teleported to another location the students were so excited and couldn’t wait for the next “mission”!
Is there anything that you wish you could tell your younger self about coding?
Don’t be intimidated by how complicated something seems! The fastest way to learn something is by doing it. Think of an idea for a small project and pursue it!
What is it about Bold Idea’s mission that really connects with you?
I believe that one of the biggest ways to make a difference in someones life is to give them the tools to empower themselves and encourage them! Through Bold Idea I get to do that while teaching something that I’m passionate about! Bold Idea seeks to teach students to think critically and communicate effectively these are two skills that are important for any occupation even if it isn’t technology oriented.
Brennan (right) with Bold Idea mentors Kevin and Nicki at Rosemont’s STEM Night, 2018