In Drogheda, Ireland, a group of programmers set up one of the countrys very, very first CoderDojo coding clubs for young people. One of those Dojos attendees was Cian Martin Bohan. Cian went from his first experience with coding at his local CoderDojo as an 11-year-old to landing a Software Engineering apprenticeship at Google.

Cian (20) vividly remembers the first time he heard about CoderDojo as a shy 11-year-old: he initially told his dad he felt too nervous to attend. What Cian couldnt have known back then was that attending CoderDojo would set him on an exciting journey of creative digital making and finding life-long friends. Right from the beginning, the CoderDojo gave Cian space to make friends and develop his coding skills and his curiosity about creating things with technology. He started to attend the Dojo regularly, and before long he had created his own website about the planets in our solar system with basic CSS and HTML.

In over 6 years of being part of his CoderDojo community, Cian was able to share his passion for programming with others and grow his confidence. From meeting like-minded peers and developing apps and websites, to serving as a youth member on the Digital Youth Council, Cian embraced the many experiences that CoderDojo opened up for him. They were all of great benefit when he decided to apply for an apprenticeship at Google.

As someone who didn't follow the university route of education, Cian's time at CoderDojo and the mentors he met there had a profound impact on his life and his career path. His CoderDojo mentors always encouraged Cian to learn new skills and follow his interests, and in this way they not only helped him reach his current position at Google, but also instilled in him a steady desire to always keep learning.

The future is limitless for Cian, and we cannot wait to hear what he does next.