Martisha and Trey Alumni Spotlight

MARTISHA:

This was my only option. We didn't have a fallback plan. Some people do, but we didn't have a fallback plan. So even when it got tough we had to keep going, keep going, keep on.

For me, my background was in health, so, I mean, I knew how to work a computer and my phone, but that's basically about it. 

TREY:

And for me, I mean, my background was communication and sports broadcasting. Before we got into tech, I was actually Uber Eats and DoorDash. All it was I was getting by. I knew that we needed to do something because we knew we wanted to do things like break generational curses and take our future family to the next level.

Q: How did you hear about Sabio?

MARTISHA:

Sabio kept promoting itself to me on the ads. Can't remember this girl's name, but I kept seeing her, she was like, “I'm 19. I just graduated college and I’m making six figures.” I'm like, I need to join that. 

Q: What was difficult about Sabio and how did you get through it?

TREY:

All the information in that short amount of time was really tough to handle. But getting on the queue often, asking questions, and also utilizing other cohort members really helped me because a lot of people have different experiences and some people may have had coding experience. 

MARTISHA:

Be the nagger. Be the one that's always on the queue where they're like, Okay, I'm tired of you coming.

Q: How soon after graduating did you find a job?

MARTISHA:

We graduated June 17th last year and I received my offer letter from Amazon like July 22nd. 

TREY:

She had actually landed Amazon before I did, a week before, and so my offer letter was July 29th. 

Q: Do you get paid as an Amazon apprentice?

MARTISHA:

Oh yeah, yeah. Yes. Oh no, I wouldn’t have done this for free. When you hear that word, it sounds like internship, but it’s not. They don't pay the same at all.

Q: What factors help you get selected to be an Amazon apprentice?

MARTISHA:

So having a referral from someone who works at Amazon really helped, you know, give us a boost. But I feel like Sabio is a factor as well because we had a lot of people from Sabio that got accepted for Amazon. We had referrals from an alumni that went through Sabio and went through the apprenticeship as well, and also making sure you submit the application on the day that they put it out because they have so many applications, like they end up cutting off applications and they stop looking at them because they get too many.

Q: What is the structure of the apprenticeship like?

MARTISHA:

Technically the apprenticeship lasts one year, so basically like another bootcamp at the beginning of apprenticeship, so like 17 weeks of in-the-classroom training, instructor-led, where you learn like different languages, you do projects with the people that's in the training as well, and then you switch over to on-the-job training. The manager decides if he wants to keep you and convert you over to a SDE or lay you off -- I mean, let you go. The great thing is, I have Amazon on my resume. 

Q: Is it an issue if English isn’t your first language?

TREY:

What's great about Amazon is they promote diversity. So even if you might have struggles with English or something like that, they may possibly find somebody that they can help relate to you. 

MARTISHA:

Everybody on my team, English is not their first language, so you definitely can get a job. 

Q: What’s your day-to-day like at Amazon?

MARTISHA:

My actual job is slow. It’s...I love it, like the flexibility...I have stand-up at 1:00. My stand-up is like 10 minutes. After that, I don't really talk to anybody on my team much. It’s just working on your own pace, completing the task that you have.

Q: Do you have any advice for current students?

MARTISHA:

I always tell people to remember your “why.” Remember why you joined even when it gets difficult. When you feel like giving up, do not give up. I saw somebody said there's light at the end of the tunnel. That’s so true. Like continue going. Do not give up. It’s definitely worth it.