I Am Proof
Growing up, I didn’t know much about technology and wasn’t introduced to it until I was in fifth grade. I was 12 years old.
My teacher took our class to the computer lab and I was so excited that I sat down in the first seat I could find. I couldn’t take my eyes off the huge screen that sat before me. My teacher instructed us to pull up Internet Explorer and type in “www.” I immediately asked what those letters meant and was told “world wide web.” From that point on, I soaked up every opportunity to learn about the web and what it had to offer.
In middle school, I was given the opportunity to go to an event at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Visiting campus opened up my eyes to a world beyond the technology that we use every day. I saw how different codes make up what people see and I had my first encounter with a robot. This experience made me even more curious about what secrets technology had to share with me.
I attended Carver High School in Atlanta where l was able to take a few digital design classes. My teacher was brilliant and taught me how to create videos and websites. It was challenging at first and there were times that I felt like I would never find the right combination of code. I soon got the hang of it and realized that with the power of code, I could make amazing things happen.
It was also during high school that I got involved with an organization called Girls Who Code. Girls Who Code encourages females to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. They helped me learn several different coding languages and enhance my existing coding skills.
I am currently majoring in computer science at Paine College in Augusta, Georgia. I chose my major because there is always something new to learn in this field. Technology changes on a daily basis and this constant change keeps me motivated to keep learning and to keep my skills sharp.
My high school teacher was Terry Foster, who is now a fellow at the Constellations Center for Equity in Computing at Georgia Tech. Terry helped push open new doors and encouraged me to believe in myself. Without his support, I might not have the opportunities that I have today – like interning at the Department of Energy national lab or working on cybersecurity issues. I actually just won the 2019 Cybersecurity Scholarship!
Even though the Constellations Center for Equity in Computing was created after I graduated, I am proof that early exposure to technology is essential and life-changing.
Computer science is a career path that is full of new opportunities and welcoming people. As an African-American female who is also a part of the LGBTQ community, I experience plenty of judgment. Computer science allows me to leave the judgment at the door and let my code do the talking.
Technology can be expensive, but there are options like taking your kid to the library and letting them explore a computer there for a few moments or plenty of unplugged activities that teach computational thinking.
If you are an educator or administrator, I encourage you to find ways to implement computer science or computational thinking into your curriculum. As someone who would not be where she is today without this exposure, I can promise you that your student’s lives will be positively impacted for years to come because of it.
