There are several common misconceptions about the type of people who are a good fit for code school. We’ve heard it all. Don’t you have to be good at math? What if I’m not a big gamer? Aren’t all programmers really into science and technology?

The truth is, you don’t have to have a background in math or science to become a great programmer. At The Iron Yard, we’ve had students from a huge range of career backgrounds succeed in going from complete beginner to junior developer through our courses. Our Indianapolis Campus Director Emily Trimble put it this way:

Honestly, the type of background or experience you bring to the table isn’t all that relevant. Sure, someone who has been doing coding tutorials at home may have a leg up during the first week, but overall, it’s about problem-solving. I tell people that it’s more about being able to look at a problem and break it down into pieces – which is a skill you have probably used in thousands of scenarios.”

Watson Mulkey talks to potential students every day as our Student Success Lead. He has followed along with hundreds of our students as they’ve gone from zero to career-ready developers, and he knows what it takes. “Perhaps most importantly, we’ve found that interest is far more important that aptitude,” he said. “If you’re motivated by the prospect of changing careers, and invested in learning a new skill – The Iron Yard is for you.”

Since we launched in 2013, we’ve had teachers, mechanical engineers, musicians, rocket scientists, bakers and nannies (just to name a few) successfully complete our programs. Some have had a college degree, some a high school diploma, others may have a Master’s or Ph.D. in one field or another. Regardless the background, they all became developers.

Below are 11 unexpected careers our students have had before coming to The Iron Yard:

Teacher

Tajaa began her career as a math specialist at a public elementary school in St. Louis. It was her students that got Tajaa thinking about learning how to code. Read Tajaaa’s story.

Mike taught high school music and band for more than 10 years before deciding to take the leap into coding. He graduated from our front-end engineering course and now works as a front-end developer. Read Mike’s story.

Isaiah aimed to solve problems in education by working with Teach for America in one of the poorest districts in the country. He turned to programming so he could take on a new kind of problem solving. Read Isiah’s story.

Musician

What would make someone leave a successful indie rock band to learn to code? In her story, MaryEllen shares how she stumbled upon a completely new passion for programming. Read MaryEllen’s story.

Hunter grew up playing instruments in his family’s music store, so it was no surprise that he was drawn to music programs in school and eventually became a musician himself. Read Hunter’s story.

Read the full list on SwitchUp.org.