Axel Orellana: Building Himself a Full-Stack Career
Three years ago, Axel Orellana was a reserved college student who didn’t think he’d have much to say in a room full of engineers. A 2022 graduate of Capital City Public Charter School, Axel began building his professional experience through the Genesys Works workforce program, where he completed an internship as an operations and front desk assistant with Talent for Tomorrow. He served as both an intern and a part-time employee there before joining Limbic Systems. Today, he’s a full-stack developer fluent in Python, HTML, CSS, server deployment, and API integrations, finishing his degree in Computer Engineering at the University of the District of Columbia with three years of professional work experience already on his résumé.
At CityWorks DC, we kickstart young people’s career trajectories through intensive early professional opportunities, and Axel’s role as a Junior Coder at Limbic Systems is a case study in how far that early opportunity can take someone.
From Quiet to Confident
Axel arrived at Limbic Systems with only a basic understanding of computer engineering. “It sounded almost too good to be true,” he said of the opportunity: the chance to learn his field, work with industry professionals, and get paid, all while completing his degree. By the end of his apprenticeship that hesitation disappeared giving way to real confidence and poise–now he’s comfortable consulting and mentoring others, speaking in front of large audiences, and navigating his field with hard-won knowledge.
A Mentorship Built on Development and Growth
Much of that growth traces back to his supervisor, Marullus Williams, CEO of Limbic Systems, who walked him through unfamiliar tools like Bubble and Botpress at the beginning and then encouraged him to figure things out independently. The lesson stuck: in tech, you never stop developing yourself, because the field never stops moving. “And I’m proud to say that the dynamic evolved, and I started teaching him new skills too,” Axel said–the kind of professional guidance that turned his apprenticeship into an invaluable career-building experience rather than just a work placement.
Becoming a Full-Stack Developer
By the middle of his apprenticeship, Axel was tasked with meeting a client and learning how to implement a software solution based on their request, requiring him to teach himself anything he didn’t already know along the way. By the end of the program, not only had he built durable skills like problem-solving, but he’d also developed a real portfolio of hard skills–Python, HTML, CSS, server deployment, and API integrations–which together turned him into a full-stack developer.
A fundamental aspect of the apprenticeship was three consistent years of income which gave him a sense of financial security as he watched many friends and family go without, pushing him to become financially literate and be intentional about building his income rather than just spending his paycheck.
Looking Ahead
Axel’s next step is finishing his degree at UDC, then leaning on the professional network he built during his apprenticeship to find a job in his field–and eventually pursue a master’s, either in AI and robotics or an MBA.
Axel’s journey reflects what CareerWise DC apprenticeships are built to do: give young people the time, mentorship, and hands-on experience to grow not just their skills, but their sense of who they want to become. To learn more about how CityWorks DC helps young people build careers through apprenticeship, visit cityworksdc.org/programs.
