Deja Yang

Software Engineer, Braintree

Chicago

Deja Baker works as a Software Engineer at Braintree. Braintree, a PayPal service, uses innovative payments technology, scalable solutions, and legendary white-glove support backed by one of the world’s largest and most trusted fintech brands. She attended Code Platoon, a coding bootcamp for veterans and spouses. Deja served for 8 years in the Navy as a Cryptologic Technician. Deja’s journey into tech was featured in Fast Company magazine.

What is your favorite technical skill to work with on your own projects and why?

I love working with JavaScript and React on my own projects. There's something incredibly rewarding about building interactive user experiences and seeing an idea come to life in the browser. I also enjoy how versatile JavaScript is. It allows me to work across the full stack, experiment quickly, and stay creative.

I really enjoy teaching version control with Git and GitHub. It’s such a foundational skill, and I love watching the lightbulb moments when students begin to understand collaboration workflows. It empowers them to work confidently in teams, contribute to real-world projects, and build professional habits early.

For me, it’s about creating a supportive and inclusive learning environment where students feel confident tackling complex concepts. I want students to leave my class not just with technical know-how, but with the mindset and problem-solving skills they need to keep growing beyond the classroom.

Be patient with yourself and stay consistent. Learning technical skills, especially if you're switching careers, can feel overwhelming at times. But progress adds up quickly when you show up every day. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, break things, or start over. And most importantly, build projects that genuinely interest you. Passion projects are not only more fun, but they also help solidify your learning and make your portfolio stand out.

Outside of teaching, I’ve worked on everything from building internal tools to launching user-facing products in fast-paced environments. I’ve also mentored junior engineers and helped improve onboarding processes. These experiences have shaped my passion for tech education and team empowerment. I bring real-world lessons into the classroom to help bridge the gap between learning and doing.

WHAT DEJA’S STUDENTS ARE SAYING...

"Deja provides really thorough responses to questions and tries to pull in previous work experience as examples."

"I can tell that all the instructors are supportive of our learning and care about us! I liked Deja's teaching style - how she incorporate visual tools, which was helpful for an online course."