Celebrating one year of impact with Chris Guirl
Happy Build-a-versary, Chris! It’s hard to believe Chris Guirl has only been part of the Build Carolina team for a year—it already feels like he’s been a cornerstone of our instructional work much longer. Over the past year, Chris has led the instructional side of our last two apprenticeship cohorts with thoughtfulness, clarity, and an unwavering dedication to the success of each apprentice and employer host partner.
In a year of organizational growth and change, Chris has adapted with ease, stepping into big responsibilities and making a lasting impact across our team. His work goes beyond instruction—he's built data workflows to streamline operations, collaborated across teams, and consistently created space for others to learn and thrive.
But the best reflection of his impact comes from the apprentices themselves:
“Chris’s coding knowledge is only outdone by his patience in teaching! He has been a strong encouragement in my software development journey... I could not be more thankful for his contribution to the world of tech, especially at the local level.” – Santi Mariani
“I’ve never had a teacher as kind as Chris before, and I’ll always remember him for it... I thank him for not only bringing me out of my shell, but helping me feel more confident about myself!” – Michael Johnson
“Chris is an incredible instructor! Not only is he highly knowledgeable, but it's clear he truly loves helping others learn and succeed.” – Timothy Stewart
Chris shared a few reflections on his first year with us (emojis and all):
“Wow, what a year it's been at Build Carolina! 🎉
Reflecting on my first year, I'm just buzzing with how awesome it's been. Getting to work with two incredible cohorts of talented technologists and then watching them kick off their careers has been truly special. So proud of these graduates! 🎓🚀
I've also really loved diving into building out new data workflows, which has helped automate not just my tasks but others' too. It's super satisfying to see that work pay off! ⚙️✨
A huge shoutout to the BC team – I've felt so supported and empowered to tackle cool projects, solve problems, and even teach a few things along the way, which in turn helped me support others on their journey. It's a real ripple effect! 🌊💖
Seriously, my coworkers are the absolute best, and I couldn't ask for a better culture. Here's to many more years of awesomeness! 🥂🥳”
We’re lucky to have Chris on this journey with us, and we can’t wait to see what year two brings!
Want to learn more about the Build Carolina Apprenticeship? Head to our Apprenticeship page to keep exploring!