Andre Felipe Costa Silva, BIT Developer

So how does a 20 year-old from  São Bernardo do Campo (a municipality of São Paulo, Brazil) end up in Winnipeg? Andre Felipe, a Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) gamer who likes coding and reading poems, would tell you that it’s a mix of hard work and luck. His success in a System Analysis and Development program in Brazil won him a seat in the Business Information Technology (BIT) program. Now having completed two BIT academic semesters, Andre Felipe is part of a team of eight developers in the Massey Building who are building a platform for the delivery of interactive 360-degree panoramas.

Q: What attracted you to the BIT Program (and Canada, and Winnipeg)?

Well, it just happened. My Brazilian scholarship program selected my placement.

Q: What were you hoping to get out of this project?

I was hoping to get a job after hearing about it during my interview. I also expected a good chance to start developing and all the knowledge and experience that would come with it.

Q: Have the program, the project, and Winnipeg met your expectations?

Considering I didn’t really have any expectations, I would have to say yes, they have.

Q: What has been most challenging in the project so far?

Hmmm… Not pouring water too quickly when making coffee.

Q: What has been the most useful for you so far?

Dealing better with source control using Gitflow. It just makes work clearer and more transparent for me.

Q: What has been the most enjoyable part of the project?

HatPlā, one of the games coded by Andre

Creating my own code. This week I have been creating games and WordPress plugins that will be embedded in interactive 360-degree panoramas.

Q: What has been the most frustrating part of the project?

Understanding other people’s code. Other programmers’ ideas and methodologies can be quite different from mine, which can make it difficult when I have to fix/implement changes.

Q: How will your experience in this project impact your future?

It will help me find a job, both when I get back to Brazil or if I decide to return to Canada.

Q: What advice would you give to someone considering the BIT Program?

My only advice: come to class and pay attention. You can of course learn by yourself, but for me, the time with the instructor is really important. To maximize your learning and do well I feel you need to be actively present in classes.

Q: What advice would you give to someone considering the BIT Project?

Be as communicative as possible, it helps you and your team greatly.

Q: What will be your best memory of Winnipeg?

Seeing Winnipeg from the plane when I arrived. It was the feeling that something new was about to happen. Seeing a whole new city full of experiences and opportunities for me to explore was a great sensation.

Andre Felipe will be returning to Brazil this August, one year after he first landed in Winnipeg. In the meantime, when not playing League of Legends or Heroes of the Storm, he will spend his summer slinging code and sipping Slurpees in the Exchange District. Surely the stuff of poetry.