“As technology changes the way we communicate, connect, create, consume and innovate, it is democratizing access to opportunity. Education is no exception.”
— Laura Andreessen
A Teacher With a Dream
The idea for Mastery Coding started with a teacher in a classroom. Before C.E.O. and Founder Alan Sitomer was leading the company, he was teaching high-school English in Lynwood, California. Alan came from the world of traditional education and saw first-hand how emerging technologies were changing the landscape of education. In the classroom, his students were ecstatic about gaming and technology, but the school had no way to harness that passion. He became frustrated that hist students had no access to learn about these emerging industries they cared about deeply.
Around this time, one of Alan's friends started a virtual reality company. Even though the salaries advertised in his job listings were high, he couldn't fill the positions. Disheartened, he told Alan, "I don't care about their background or their degrees; I just need skilled workers." Inspiration struck, and Alan knew what needed to be done. Students were passionate about technology, and the workforce was short of skilled workers; it became Alan's mission to bring up-to-date technology education to schools across the country.
A Company is Born
In 2016, Mastery Coding began as EyeQVR. Alan Sitomer toured the U.S. and presented his ideas of VR education to schools and school boards. From the start, Alan's ideas excited students and educators nationwide. In less than a year, he had assembled a team of passionate colleagues, excited to teach students to code using Virtual Reality HMDs. As he visited schools, countless teachers, principals, and directors resonated with Alan's vision. The schools themselves, however, were slow to adapt. Convincing boards to commission the hardware and curriculum proved to be incredibly difficult. The team found that the education system made it difficult for schools and school districts to act proactively and stay up-to-date with the latest that technology has to offer. A pivot had to be made.
Mastery Coding Emerges
In 2018, EyeQVR was renamed Mastery Coding. The name was chosen because we believed it to be a self-evident representation of our mission and goal. We wanted students to achieve mastery of the subject of coding to meet the demand of the workforce.
A Student With a Vision
Juan Erazo was hired in late 2017 as a curriculum writer and quickly became a valuable member of the Mastery Coding team. Much of the content Juan learned at college was outdated, and the online resources available to him were leaps and bounds ahead of what his college classes could offer. Intent on seeing Mastery Coding succeed, Juan made a radical proposal to develop courseware that would bring the best of online code instruction into the bell schedule - with curriculum tailor-made for the needs of US classrooms and educators. His proposal was approved, and he assembled a team of engineers to work on creating a platform to deliver the curriculum.
A Gamer With A Plan
In the beginning of 2019, a passion project evolved into a groundbreaking way to engage young learners. Rich Conti, a curriculum writer for Mastery Coding, was an avid esports fan. As a former collegiate Overwatch player and team captain, Rich saw an opportunity to use esports to engage with young students. As a software developer, he knew firsthand that gaming can be a pathway to get students interested in technology. His idea was to create a framework and a toolkit for schools to create their own esports programs. This evolved into Pathway Esports.
A Perfect Match
In early 2023, Mastery Coding and Rally Cry, esports veterans with decades of experience, joined together to announce the launch of the United States Academic Esports League (USAEL). Poised to be America’s premier academic esports league, The USAEL was founded on the companies' shared belief in a better future through gaming and shared mission to empower students, schools, and educators with the best tools to create that future.
During an era marked by technological advancement, the United States Association for Esports and Learning (USAEL) has made it its mission to assist students in harnessing their enthusiasm for video games to access prospects for internships, scholarships, and pathways to lucrative careers in STEM. The founding companies of USAEL designed this initiative on three fundamental pillars: engaging competitions, inspiring curricula, and empowering careers.
A Team With Passion
Through the trials and tribulations of establishing a start-up, a team of ambitious teachers, leaders, and creators has persisted. They have united over a passion for education and technology from all different locations, backgrounds, and walks of life.
Since the beginning, they've tirelessly worked at creating new courses, keeping curricula up to date, supporting educators & learners, and spreading the word about Mastery Coding’s products.
MC Gets Industry Recognition
At the beginning of April 2021, EdTech Digest awarded Mastery Coding the Trendsetter Award and a finalist for the Cool Tool Award!
Become part of the Mastery Coding Story
Last Updated: 4/25/2023
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