Bo French

I’ve always been a curious person who loves to learn, and eventually, software became the perfect outlet for that curiosity. After high school, my focus was solely on playing college hockey, which I did  while completing general education courses. But when life hit me after my freshman year at 19 and I needed to become fully independent, I was forced to temporarily pause my education. During that time, I became a licensed massage therapist and competed nationally in Strongman competitions, eventually placing 11th at the U.S. National Championships. While living around Detroit with friends—one of whom was finishing a Computer Science degree—I got my first taste of programming. On an offhand night, he guided me through a simple “Hello World!” in Python, and I was instantly hooked. A week later, I had built a basic calculator, a Battleship clone, and completed a Codecademy course. A month later, after nearly two years away from school, I re-enrolled into Eastern Michigan University as an Applied Computer Science student, moved back to Ypsilanti, and dove in headfirst.College was a whirlwind: working 6+ days a week as a massage therapist, playing two seasons of college hockey, staying active in a fraternity, completing two internships, and handling a full course load. It was intense, but I loved every second of it.

What excites me most about software is its limitless potential—if you have a computer, curiosity, and some grit, you can build just about anything and solve real world problems, which is the coolest thing to me.What drew me to Atomic was its people-first culture. Atomic values who you are as a person, not just the skills you bring. The chance to collaborate closely with clients and teammates in a human-centered environment working on a variety of projects made it an easy decision. I’m excited to grow here—as a developer, consultant, teammate, and person.

After graduating, I spent four weeks on the Big Island of Hawaii doing a work exchange program, where I picked up new hands-on skills and spent my free time surfing, snorkeling, hiking, and connecting with a new culture and community. These days, I enjoy long runs, listening to dad rock, spending time with good friends and my goldendoodle Mac(aroni), watching and training in mixed martial arts, traveling, and doing anything outdoors—whether it's hiking, camping, or just exploring new places.