Our Story
In 2020, during the challenging days of the COVID-19 pandemic, a small group of parents came together with a simple goal: to keep our kids learning and engaged despite the world being in turmoil. We started by organizing online classes ourselves, reaching out to parents who could teach subjects from English and math to science and even dancing.
What began as a temporary solution soon grew into something more significant. As parents began returning to work, we brought in professional educators to continue and improve our classes. Among all the subjects, our coding classes for kids stood out and gained popularity.
This led to the creation of our online coding school for kids. Now, four years later, we've expanded our courses to cater to all ages and skill levels, but our mission remains the same: to make quality education accessible to everyone.
Driven by our unwavering belief in equal opportunities, we've assembled a team of exceptionally qualified teachers and made our classes more affordable than ever before. To further support our mission, we have also instituted a tuition assistance program because we know these courses may still be out of reach for some. We firmly believe that every child deserves the tools to shape their future.
From our family to yours, we invite you to join us on this educational journey. Let's inspire curiosity and creativity in young minds together, building a brighter future for all.
Our Team
Manuel Arellano
Founder
Manuel, a San Diego, CA native and proud Marine Corps veteran, grew up during the internet revolution of the 90s, which sparked his passion for technology and web development. With over 25 years of experience in IT and education, Manuel's deep interest in technology's powerful impact led him to explore emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and their future societal influence.
As a dedicated parent, Manuel believes mastering technology is crucial in today's world and strives to give his children every opportunity to succeed. This commitment, combined with his passion for service, inspired him to establish Golden Tiger Coding Academy. At GT Coding Academy, Manuel blends his extensive IT knowledge and teaching experience to create a nurturing environment where kids can learn, innovate, and thrive. Under his leadership, the academy fosters creativity, critical thinking, and a lifelong love of learning, empowering the next generation with the skills and confidence to shape the future.
Hunter Barkley
Co-founder
Instructor
I am a web developer born and raised in Ontario, Canada. My journey with programming started in the first grade, when my first mentor of many introduced me to HTML. I completed my associate's degree in software engineering, and started my career as a web developer shortly after.
Ever since I was a child I was fascinated by the systems, games, websites, and other programs. I loved thinking about how and why they worked. As I've grown up, I've continued to meet people who became both friends and mentors to me, showing me things that they had worked on and answering my frequent questions, including our very own, Jeremy.
Working with and learning from others has always been the source of my favourite memories programming, and without those memories, accomplishments, friends and mentors, I don't think I would have come as far as I have today.
This is why I value and enjoy teaching so much. I'm grateful to be in a position where I can pay it forward and help others learn the fundamentals while finding their strengths and encourage their growth the same way so many have done for me.
Mireya Leon
Instructor
Growing up in Salinas, CA, near Silicon Valley, Mireya was inspired by the blend of agriculture and technological innovation. Her journey in teaching and technology began at CSU Monterey Bay, where she earned a B.S. in Computer Science, and was further enriched by an M.S. in Human-Computer Interaction from UC Santa Cruz. In her full-stack development roles, Mireya honed her skills in both front-end and back-end development, focusing on crafting intuitive, user-friendly tech solutions.
As a university teaching assistant and instructor, Mireya finds great reward in instilling a passion for technology in her students. She enjoys working with children and sharing her knowledge, aiming to inspire the next generation of tech enthusiasts. Her dedication to teaching and her deep understanding of technology make her an invaluable mentor and educator.
Jeremy Alkire
Instructor
Jeremy is a seasoned software engineer with 21 years of coding experience and 4 years of teaching expertise. A graduate of Brigham Young University, he has worked extensively in the crypto/web3 industry, serving as both a web developer and a security lead. In his role, Jeremy built security bots to protect company servers from bot raids and other malicious attacks. His diverse skill set includes developing full-stack web applications, desktop applications, browser games, Discord bots, web scrapers, mobile apps, and more.
Beyond his technical prowess, Jeremy is a fun, light-hearted teacher with a passion for inspiring young minds. He is dedicated to creating an engaging and supportive learning environment, ensuring that his students not only grasp complex concepts but also develop a genuine love for technology. Jeremy is committed to leveraging his extensive knowledge to create innovative and secure technological solutions while making learning an enjoyable experience for all his students.