Mighty Hercules Excels at North Seattle College
Note: The following article originally appeared in the Seattle Colleges Foundation newsletter, The College Minute. It was reported and written by freelance journalist Florangela Davila, whose career includes stints as a Seattle Times reporter and newsroom director for Crosscut and NPR affiliate KNKX.
You can tell a lot about Callan Hercules just knowing that he’s an extended confirmed editor.
A what?
An extended confirmed editor is someone with special editing privileges on Wikipedia, meaning they’re trusted to work on the most sensitive or controversial of pages. It’s a distinguished status you gain by being accurate and precise in edits across hundreds of pages. Only a few tens of thousands of people worldwide have this rank and Callan — just 23 years old — is one of them.
The habits of mind that make Callan a star Wikipedian also make him a standout student — and Seattle Colleges scholarship winner — in North Seattle College’s Bachelor of Science in Computer Science program. The program — only the second such baccalaureate at a community college in Washington — started in 2022 with support from Amazon.
Callan grew up in Snoqualmie, Wash., before moving to Arizona, where he graduated high school. During the pandemic, from Arizona, he completed his associate degree at Seattle Central College. It was there that he discovered a love for coding through an Introduction to Programming class.
The attraction to tech wasn’t surprising, perhaps, since Callan always enjoyed exploring and experimenting with computers and smartphones as a kid. On the other hand, unlike many peers around Seattle, he didn’t have software engineers around for inspiration.
As he completed his associate degree from afar, several things about North's BS in Computer Science program made it the perfect reason to return home — which he did. Among these: Amazon's vote of confidence with start-up funding ... the small classes and world-class faculty ... the emphasis on recruiting high-achieving students from a wealth of backgrounds.
Callan also appreciates new mentoring program called Project Baldwin that supports underrepresented men at North and the other Seattle Colleges. Indeed, he's now become a Baldwin ambassador, peer mentor — and website developer.
Finally, Callan loves that North's bachelor's program is set in a global hub for technology and innovation, with abundant job opportunities tomorrow — and many internship opportunities today.
Callan recently completed an internship with a biotech startup company through Tech Talent Boost Washington, secured with the help of faculty member Steve Balo.
“I got a lot of real-world experience and began to find my place in tech,” he remarks. “I found that I really excel at full-stack software development and project management.”
Callan graduates in June with the hope of landing a software engineering job and maybe one day running his own business.
None of this would have happened, he acknowledges, without the support of a Seattle Colleges Foundation scholarship.
“It’s the primary reason that I’ve stayed in school and haven't dropped out even in tough times,” Callan asserts. "It’s meant being able to work a little less as a DoorDash and Uber Eats driver, and having more time for collaborative projects and developing my career.”
Straightening his 6-foot-2 frame after a long coding session, Callan admits his high school-aged self would be surprised and excited at what he’s already accomplished and what lies ahead.
“I feel good about myself. I feel happy and thankful that I’ve been able to have all these opportunities to do many wonderful things … It’s rare for me to say out loud, but I’m proud of myself.”