A Veteran Success Story with Don Snyder

My name is Don Snyder, and I've been in the workforce for about 20 to 25 years.

Most recently, I spent a 7-year stint in the mortgage industry. I've since returned to school pursuing my bachelor's degree in Business Administration and then my master's in Business Analytics.

I found Divergence Academy through the VET TEC program which the VA offers to veterans.

I was in the army for six years as a combat medic, infantry member, and recruiter.

I consider myself a professional competitor. I did a year in Iraq. Other than that, everything's been domestic, mostly in Oregon.

My vetting process came down to knowing I wanted data science.

There aren't a whole lot of VET TEC training providers that offer data science courses. I conducted a lot of online research. Ultimately, it wasn't only the good things I found people saying about Divergence that drew me. It was the lack of bad things.

My decision to enroll in Data Science Immersive was about getting hands-on experience quickly.

As a learner at Divergence, my experience was a lot of fun. It did feel a bit like advanced training in the military, where you've got only a short period of time to absorb a tremendous amount of information.

Entering this whole new realm was challenging.

I come from a very non-technical background--I've never written a line of code in my life. But the level of individualized care from each instructor really made it manageable. I never felt like I was going to fall behind.