I started playing the sport that I love, softball at four years old. My dad, who always strived to push me to be better always signed me up for the age group above me. This meant I was always the shortest and the smallest, in fact my first nickname on my first travel ball team was "too short". But it was this experience made me who I am. I am a person who always strives to be better than who I was yesterday. I am someone who wants little kids to look up to me, as I once did to others. This experience has made me an athlete, someone who always competes. Moreover, this quality has fed into my academic and professional life. My dad is the most instrumental person in my life. Not only did he get me started in the sport, that I would eventually pursue in college, he also influenced the career I chose. My dad is a software engineer and the sole income producer of our household. In addition to wanting my sisters and I to be ambitious, he also wanted us to be well rounded people. So at age seven he introduced me to Scratch, a block based coding platform created by MIT. I absolutely loved Scratch, it gave me a way to express my creativity in way that I had not done before. Luckily for me, my school system pushed STEM curriculum so I was in computer science classes from middle school through high school. When I got to high school, my computer science teacher recommended that I apply for an award through National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT). This was my first big breakthrough as I did end up winning an award for my region. While I was there I noticed that a lot of the girls were in Girls Who Code. After the award ceremony I decided to have a conversation with my teacher to introduce Girls Who Code to my school. I really wanted to do this because I felt that the girls in the computer science classes were missing a sense of community, since there were so few of us. Now that I am going into my junior year of college, I am involved in a NCAA D2 collegiate softball program and Women in Technology (WIT). I strive to be better for my younger self, the young softball players, and to pave the way for more women in STEM. In the future I would love to coach softball at any level, as well as teach computer science at a secondary school level. I have decided that this is what I want to do because of my dad, the coaches who helped me get here, and my computer science teacher in high school. I want to be a mentor to these kids just as the people aforementioned were to me. I believe I deserve this scholarship because of how I have committed myself to strive at my academic and athletics endeavors. Additionally, how I have made it my goal to create opportunities for others and give back to my community. What sets me apart is how I have thrived in both college athletics and computer science, while also serving as a leader and role model. I did not just participate in Girls Who Code, I brought it to my school. Moreover, I am not just seeking a degree, I am building a path for myself to coach, teach, and inspire future generations. Resilience, leadership, and a passion to lift others up is what gives me an edge and makes me a deserving candidate for this scholarship.

I started playing the sport that I love, softball at four years old. My dad, who always strived to push me to be better always signed me up for the age group above me. This meant I was always the shortest and the smallest, in fact my first nickname on my first travel ball team was "too short". But it was this experience made me who I am. I am a person who always strives to be better than who I was yesterday. I am someone who wants little kids to look up to me, as I once did to others. This experience has made me an athlete, someone who always competes. Moreover, this quality has fed into my academic and professional life. My dad is the most instrumental person in my life. Not only did he get me started in the sport, that I would eventually pursue in college, he also influenced the career I chose. My dad is a software engineer and the sole income producer of our household. In addition to wanting my sisters and I to be ambitious, he also wanted us to be well rounded people. So at age seven he introduced me to Scratch, a block based coding platform created by MIT. I absolutely loved Scratch, it gave me a way to express my creativity in way that I had not done before. Luckily for me, my school system pushed STEM curriculum so I was in computer science classes from middle school through high school. When I got to high school, my computer science teacher recommended that I apply for an award through National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT). This was my first big breakthrough as I did end up winning an award for my region. While I was there I noticed that a lot of the girls were in Girls Who Code. After the award ceremony I decided to have a conversation with my teacher to introduce Girls Who Code to my school. I really wanted to do this because I felt that the girls in the computer science classes were missing a sense of community, since there were so few of us. Now that I am going into my junior year of college, I am involved in a NCAA D2 collegiate softball program and Women in Technology (WIT). I strive to be better for my younger self, the young softball players, and to pave the way for more women in STEM. In the future I would love to coach softball at any level, as well as teach computer science at a secondary school level. I have decided that this is what I want to do because of my dad, the coaches who helped me get here, and my computer science teacher in high school. I want to be a mentor to these kids just as the people aforementioned were to me. With the help of this scholarship I can achieve my degree, career goals, and give back to my community just like Sloane.

My parents are my biggest cheerleaders, role models, and advocates. They are both excellent examples that someone can accomplish anything at any age. At age thirty-one, when I was just a one-year-old my dad had achieved his bachelor's degree in computer science. Just this past week, at age forty-six, my mom got her associate's degree in nursing. They willingly put their dreams on hold to put mine and my sister’s dream at the forefront. My parents are the reason I want to pursue a higher education; to make them proud and accomplish the dreams they once set aside. My interest in STEM began at a young age, when at seven years old my dad introduced me to Scratch, a program created by MIT that introduces coding in a block-based format. It took my entire world by storm; I loved being able to express my creativity by making my own games. Three years later, my elementary school introduced an innovative technology to me, Sphero. Sphero is a spherical robot which you move using block-based coding. This was a true turning point in my education, because it provided a more hands-on experience with coding, and it showed me that I have a real interest in a career in computer science. In my teenage years, I chose to pursue the computer science pathway of the career technical education program provided by my high school. My computer science teacher was an excellent mentor, who encouraged me to share my passion for computer science with younger students. I participated in Hour of Code events in the local elementary and middle school classrooms. Additionally, she got me involved with the National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT), where I connected with peers who shared my love for STEM and received awards in both my junior and senior year of high school. When I was watching other awardees win, I noticed a lot of them were involved in another organization, Girls Who Code. With the support and mentorship of my computer science teacher I found my high school’s chapter of Girls Who Code. Being able to lead this chapter allowed me to empower other girls to explore technology and see themselves in STEM careers. Now in college, I continue to pursue my passion through another STEM based organization, Women in Technology (WIT). This organization has just given me a sense of community and belonging, where I can be amongst peers with similar interests. My experiences from high school and college have made me realize just how inaccessible classes or a STEM-related education can be. Moreover, these experiences sparked my desire to give back by teaching and mentoring the next generation just as my dad and high school computer science teacher did for me. I will accomplish this goal by majoring in computer science and minoring in education. With the help of this scholarship, I can achieve my bachelor’s degree in computer science, professional goals, and give back to my community. This opportunity will also help ease the financial burden on my parents, who have sacrificed so much for my education.

This past semester I finally got to Mobile Application Development, I was so excited for this. My dad, our sole income producer and software engineer found it important to introduce my sisters and I to as many STEM related programs and commodities as possible. He was the one whom got me started coding on Scratch at seven years old, and I loved being able to make my own games. This class was a way for me to express my inner child and creativity, the one loved making something on her own on Scratch. In this class I learned how to incorporate artificial intelligence, application program interfaces, and databases within an app. My favorite part of this class was being able to create apps I would use everyday. Although, we created an app per week of the semester (14 apps), there was one app that stood out to me. This particular week we were told to create an app that would benefit us in our everyday life that implemented artificial intelligence. As a current collegiate student athlete inspired me to create an artificial intelligence nutritional app, that would help out college athletes like me could. The artificial intelligence would provide the user with a macro nutritional plan everyday based on the user's body specifications and goals they had inputted. The user could even ask for meal ideas and the estimated macros of a meal they uploaded a photo of. As a college athlete this app was something I was really excited for because it is hard to have meals prepared with great nutritional value that would help me grow as an athlete. Moreover, as someone who has struggled with an eating disorder it helped me maintain my nutrition. Creating this app and being in this class, truly changed my life. I loved being in a class with people who were just as passionate about computer science as me. It made me excited for the future because if college students could create apps using artificial intelligence what more could professionals use with this tool? What other apps could we create that would help make life just a little bit easier? How many people could we help with creation of apps? Technology helps me express my individuality, but also help me think of ways to better my community. Working in technology inspires me to seek innovation and creativity in modern day life and the future.

My parents are my biggest cheerleaders, role models, and advocates. They are both excellent examples that someone can accomplish anything at any age. At age thirty-one, when I was just a one-year-old my dad had achieved his bachelor's degree in computer science. Just this past week, at age forty-six, my mom got her associate's degree in nursing. They willingly put their dreams on hold to put mine and my sister’s dream at the forefront. My parents are the reason I want to pursue a higher education; to make them proud and accomplish the dreams they once set aside. My interest in STEM began at a young age, when at seven years old my dad introduced me to Scratch, a program created by MIT that introduces coding in a block-based format. It took my entire world by storm; I loved being able to express my creativity by making my own games. Three years later, my elementary school introduced an innovative technology to me, Sphero. Sphero is a spherical robot which you move using block-based coding. This was a true turning point in my education, because it provided a more hands-on experience with coding, and it showed me that I have a real interest in a career in computer science. In my teenage years, I chose to pursue the computer science pathway of the career technical education program provided by my high school. My computer science teacher was an excellent mentor, who encouraged me to share my passion for computer science with younger students. I participated in Hour of Code events in the local elementary and middle school classrooms. Additionally, she got me involved with the National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT), where I connected with peers who shared my love for STEM and received awards in both my junior and senior year of high school. When I was watching other awardees win, I noticed a lot of them were involved in another organization, Girls Who Code. With the support and mentorship of my computer science teacher I found my high school’s chapter of Girls Who Code. Being able to lead this chapter allowed me to empower other girls to explore technology and see themselves in STEM careers. Now in college, I continue to pursue my passion through another STEM based organization, Women in Technology (WIT). This organization has just given me a sense of community and belonging, where I can be amongst peers with similar interests. My experiences from high school and college have made me realize just how inaccessible classes or a STEM-related education can be. Moreover, these experiences sparked my desire to give back by teaching and mentoring the next generation just as my dad and high school computer science teacher did for me. I will accomplish this goal by majoring in computer science and minoring in education. With the help of this scholarship, I can achieve my bachelor’s degree in computer science, professional goals, and give back to my community. This opportunity will also help ease the financial burden on my parents, who have sacrificed so much for my education.

My parents are my biggest cheerleaders, role models, and advocates. They are both excellent examples that someone can accomplish anything at any age. At age thirty-one, when I was just a one-year-old my dad had achieved his bachelor's degree in computer science. Just this past week, at age forty-six, my mom got her associate's degree in nursing. They willingly put their dreams on hold to put mine and my sister’s dream at the forefront. My parents are the reason I want to pursue a higher education; to make them proud and accomplish the dreams they once set aside. My interest in STEM began at a young age, when at seven years old my dad introduced me to Scratch, a program created by MIT that introduces coding in a block-based format. It took my entire world by storm; I loved being able to express my creativity by making my own games. Three years later, my elementary school introduced an innovative technology to me, Sphero. Sphero is a spherical robot which you move using block-based coding. This was a true turning point in my education, because it provided a more hands-on experience with coding, and it showed me that I have a real interest in a career in computer science. In my teenage years, I chose to pursue the computer science pathway of the career technical education program provided by my high school. My computer science teacher was an excellent mentor, who encouraged me to share my passion for computer science with younger students. I participated in Hour of Code events in the local elementary and middle school classrooms. Additionally, she got me involved with the National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT), where I connected with peers who shared my love for STEM and received awards in both my junior and senior year of high school. When I was watching other awardees win, I noticed a lot of them were involved in another organization, Girls Who Code. With the support and mentorship of my computer science teacher I found my high school’s chapter of Girls Who Code. Being able to lead this chapter allowed me to empower other girls to explore technology and see themselves in STEM careers. Now in college, I continue to pursue my passion through another STEM based organization, Women in Technology (WIT). This organization has just given me a sense of community and belonging, where I can be amongst peers with similar interests. These experiences sparked my desire to give back by teaching and mentoring the next generation just as my dad and high school computer science teacher did for me. I will accomplish this goal by majoring in computer science and minoring in education. With the help of this scholarship, I can achieve my bachelor’s degree in computer science, professional goals, and give back to my community. This opportunity will also help ease the financial burden on my parents, who have sacrificed so much for my education.

My parents are my biggest cheerleaders, role models, and advocates. They are both excellent examples that someone can accomplish anything at any age. At age thirty-one, when I was just a one-year-old my dad had achieved his bachelor's degree in computer science. Just this past week, at age forty-six, my mom got her associate's degree in nursing. They willingly put their dreams on hold to put mine and my sister’s dream at the forefront. My parents are the reason I want to pursue a higher education; to make them proud and accomplish the dreams they once set aside. My interest in STEM began at a young age, when at seven years old my dad introduced me to Scratch, a program created by MIT that introduces coding in a block-based format. It took my entire world by storm; I loved being able to express my creativity by making my own games. Three years later, my elementary school introduced an innovative technology to me, Sphero. Sphero is a spherical robot which you move using block-based coding. This was a true turning point in my education, because it provided a more hands-on experience with coding, and it showed me that I have a real interest in a career in computer science. In my teenage years, I chose to pursue the computer science pathway of the career technical education program provided by my high school. My computer science teacher was an excellent mentor, who encouraged me to share my passion for computer science with younger students. I participated in Hour of Code events in the local elementary and middle school classrooms. Additionally, she got me involved with the National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT), where I connected with peers who shared my love for STEM and received awards in both my junior and senior year of high school. When I was watching other awardees win, I noticed a lot of them were involved in another organization, Girls Who Code. With the support and mentorship of my computer science teacher I found my high school’s chapter of Girls Who Code. Being able to lead this chapter allowed me to empower other girls to explore technology and see themselves in STEM careers. Now in college, I continue to pursue my passion through another STEM based organization, Women in Technology (WIT). This organization has just given me a sense of community and belonging, where I can be amongst peers with similar interests. My experiences from high school and college have made me realize just how inaccessible classes or a STEM-related education can be. Moreover, these experiences sparked my desire to give back by teaching and mentoring the next generation just as my dad and high school computer science teacher did for me. I will accomplish this goal by majoring in computer science and minoring in education. With the help of this scholarship, I can achieve my bachelor’s degree in computer science, professional goals, and give back to my community. This opportunity will also help ease the financial burden on my parents, who have sacrificed so much for my education.

My parents are my biggest cheerleaders, role models, and advocates. They are both excellent examples that someone can accomplish anything at any age. At age thirty-one, when I was just a one-year-old my dad had achieved his bachelor's degree in computer science. Just this past week, at age forty-six, my mom got her associate's degree in nursing. They willingly put their dreams on hold to put mine and my sister’s dream at the forefront. My parents are the reason I want to pursue a higher education; to make them proud and accomplish the dreams they once set aside. My interest in STEM began at a young age, when at seven years old my dad introduced me to Scratch, a program created by MIT that introduces coding in a block-based format. It took my entire world by storm; I loved being able to express my creativity by making my own games. Three years later, my elementary school introduced an innovative technology to me, Sphero. Sphero is a spherical robot which you move using block-based coding. This was a true turning point in my education, because it provided a more hands-on experience with coding, and it showed me that I have a real interest in a career in computer science. In my teenage years, I chose to pursue the computer science pathway of the career technical education program provided by my high school. My computer science teacher was an excellent mentor, who encouraged me to share my passion for computer science with younger students. I participated in Hour of Code events in the local elementary and middle school classrooms. Additionally, she got me involved with the National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT), where I connected with peers who shared my love for STEM and received awards in both my junior and senior year of high school. When I was watching other awardees win, I noticed a lot of them were involved in another organization, Girls Who Code. With the support and mentorship of my computer science teacher I found my high school’s chapter of Girls Who Code. Being able to lead this chapter allowed me to empower other girls to explore technology and see themselves in STEM careers. Now in college, I continue to pursue my passion through another STEM based organization, Women in Technology (WIT). This organization has just given me a sense of community and belonging, where I can be amongst peers with similar interests. These experiences sparked my desire to give back by teaching and mentoring the next generation just as my dad and high school computer science teacher did for me. I will accomplish this goal by majoring in computer science and minoring in education. With the help of this scholarship, I can achieve my bachelor’s degree in computer science, professional goals, and give back to my community. This opportunity will also help ease the financial burden on my parents, who have sacrificed so much for my education.

My parents are my biggest cheerleaders, role models, and advocates. They are both excellent examples that someone can accomplish anything at any age. At age thirty-one, when I was just a one-year-old my dad had achieved his bachelor's degree in computer science. Just this past week, at age forty-six, my mom got her associate's degree in nursing. They willingly put their dreams on hold to put mine and my sister’s dream at the forefront. My parents are the reason I want to pursue a higher education; to make them proud and accomplish the dreams they once set aside. My interest in STEM began at a young age, when at seven years old my dad introduced me to Scratch, a program created by MIT that introduces coding in a block-based format. It took my entire world by storm; I loved being able to express my creativity by making my own games. Three years later, my elementary school introduced an innovative technology to me, Sphero. Sphero is a spherical robot which you move using block-based coding. This was a true turning point in my education, because it provided a more hands-on experience with coding, and it showed me that I have a real interest in a career in computer science. In my teenage years, I chose to pursue the computer science pathway of the career technical education program provided by my high school. My computer science teacher was an excellent mentor, who encouraged me to share my passion for computer science with younger students. I participated in Hour of Code events in the local elementary and middle school classrooms. Additionally, she got me involved with the National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT), where I connected with peers who shared my love for STEM and received awards in both my junior and senior year of high school. When I was watching other awardees win, I noticed a lot of them were involved in another organization, Girls Who Code. With the support and mentorship of my computer science teacher I found my high school’s chapter of Girls Who Code. Being able to lead this chapter allowed me to empower other girls to explore technology and see themselves in STEM careers. Now in college, I continue to pursue my passion through another STEM based organization, Women in Technology (WIT). This organization has just given me a sense of community and belonging, where I can be amongst peers with similar interests. These experiences sparked my desire to give back by teaching and mentoring the next generation just as my dad and high school computer science teacher did for me. I will accomplish this goal by majoring in computer science and minoring in education. Additionally, I plan to seek internships within the technology world that focus on the educational aspect of technology. Furthermore, it is within my plan to become a teacher assistant in my university's computer science department in order to mentor students and develop teaching strategies I can use for later. With the help of this scholarship, I can achieve my bachelor’s degree in computer science, professional goals, and give back to my community. This opportunity will also help ease the financial burden on my parents, who have sacrificed so much for my education.

My parents are my biggest cheerleaders, role models, and advocates. They are both excellent examples that someone can accomplish anything at any age. At age thirty-one, when I was just a one-year-old my dad had achieved his bachelor's degree in computer science. Just this past week, at age forty-six, my mom got her associate's degree in nursing. They willingly put their dreams on hold to put mine and my sister’s dream at the forefront. My parents are the reason I want to pursue a higher education; to make them proud and accomplish the dreams they once set aside. My interest in STEM began at a young age, when at seven years old my dad introduced me to Scratch, a program created by MIT that introduces coding in a block-based format. It took my entire world by storm; I loved being able to express my creativity by making my own games. Three years later, my elementary school introduced an innovative technology to me, Sphero. Sphero is a spherical robot which you move using block-based coding. This was a true turning point in my education, because it provided a more hands-on experience with coding, and it showed me that I have a real interest in a career in computer science. In my teenage years, I chose to pursue the computer science pathway of the career technical education program provided by my high school. My computer science teacher was an excellent mentor, who encouraged me to share my passion for computer science with younger students. I participated in Hour of Code events in the local elementary and middle school classrooms. Additionally, she got me involved with the National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT), where I connected with peers who shared my love for STEM and received awards in both my junior and senior year of high school. When I was watching other awardees win, I noticed a lot of them were involved in another organization, Girls Who Code. With the support and mentorship of my computer science teacher I found my high school’s chapter of Girls Who Code. Being able to lead this chapter allowed me to empower other girls to explore technology and see themselves in STEM careers. Now in college, I continue to pursue my passion through another STEM based organization, Women in Technology (WIT). This organization has just given me a sense of community and belonging, where I can be amongst peers with similar interests. These experiences sparked my desire to give back by teaching and mentoring the next generation just as my dad and high school computer science teacher did for me. I will accomplish this goal by majoring in computer science and minoring in education. With the help of this scholarship, I can achieve my bachelor’s degree in computer science, professional goals, and give back to my community. This opportunity will also help ease the financial burden on my parents, who have sacrificed so much for my education.

My parents are my biggest cheerleaders, role models, and advocates. They are both excellent examples that someone can accomplish anything at any age. At age thirty-one, when I was just a one-year-old my dad had achieved his bachelor's degree in computer science. Just this past week, at age forty-six, my mom got her associate's degree in nursing. They willingly put their dreams on hold to put mine and my sister’s dream at the forefront. My parents are the reason I want to pursue a higher education; to make them proud and accomplish the dreams they once set aside. My interest in STEM began at a young age, when at seven years old my dad introduced me to Scratch, a program created by MIT that introduces coding in a block-based format. It took my entire world by storm; I loved being able to express my creativity by making my own games. Three years later, my elementary school introduced an innovative technology to me, Sphero. Sphero is a spherical robot which you move using block-based coding. This was a true turning point in my education, because it provided a more hands-on experience with coding, and it showed me that I have a real interest in a career in computer science. In my teenage years, I chose to pursue the computer science pathway of the career technical education program provided by my high school. My computer science teacher was an excellent mentor, who encouraged me to share my passion for computer science with younger students. I participated in Hour of Code events in the local elementary and middle school classrooms. Additionally, she got me involved with the National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT), where I connected with peers who shared my love for STEM and received awards in both my junior and senior year of high school. When I was watching other awardees win, I noticed a lot of them were involved in another organization, Girls Who Code. With the support and mentorship of my computer science teacher I found my high school’s chapter of Girls Who Code. Being able to lead this chapter allowed me to empower other girls to explore technology and see themselves in STEM careers. Now in college, I continue to pursue my passion through another STEM based organization, Women in Technology (WIT). This organization has just given me a sense of community and belonging, where I can be amongst peers with similar interests. These experiences sparked my desire to give back by teaching and mentoring the next generation just as my dad and high school computer science teacher did for me. I will accomplish this goal by majoring in computer science and minoring in education. With the help of this scholarship, I can achieve my bachelor’s degree in computer science, professional goals, and give back to my community. This opportunity will also help ease the financial burden on my parents, who have sacrificed so much for my education.

My parents are my biggest cheerleaders, role models, and advocates. They are both excellent examples that someone can accomplish anything at any age. At age thirty-one, when I was just a one-year-old my dad had achieved his bachelor's degree in computer science. Just this past week, at age forty-six, my mom got her associate's degree in nursing. They willingly put their dreams on hold to put mine and my sister’s dream at the forefront. My parents are the reason I want to pursue a higher education; to make them proud and accomplish the dreams they once set aside. My interest in STEM began at a young age, when at seven years old my dad introduced me to Scratch, a program created by MIT that introduces coding in a block-based format. It took my entire world by storm; I loved being able to express my creativity by making my own games. Three years later, my elementary school introduced an innovative technology to me, Sphero. Sphero is a spherical robot which you move using block-based coding. This was a true turning point in my education, because it provided a more hands-on experience with coding, and it showed me that I have a real interest in a career in computer science. In my teenage years, I chose to pursue the computer science pathway of the career technical education program provided by my high school. My computer science teacher was an excellent mentor, who encouraged me to share my passion for computer science with younger students. I participated in Hour of Code events in the local elementary and middle school classrooms. This also inspired another career path, I would love to pursue; coaching. I have played softball since I was four years old, and am now playing division two collegiate softball, but being able to experience kids putting in effort and getting results has been the most rewarding experience. Which is why, I have decided to coach softball on the side after I retire. My computer science teacher also got me involved with the National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT), where I connected with peers who shared my love for STEM and received awards in both my junior and senior year of high school. When I was watching other awardees win, I noticed a lot of them were involved in another organization, Girls Who Code. With the support and mentorship of my computer science teacher I found my high school’s chapter of Girls Who Code. Being able to lead this chapter allowed me to empower other girls to explore technology and see themselves in STEM careers. Now in college, I continue to pursue my passion through another STEM based organization, Women in Technology (WIT). This organization has just given me a sense of community and belonging, where I can be amongst peers with similar interests. These experiences sparked my desire to give back by teaching and mentoring the next generation just as my dad and high school computer science teacher did for me. I will accomplish this goal by majoring in computer science and minoring in education. With the help of this scholarship, I can achieve my bachelor’s degree in computer science, professional goals, and give back to my community. This opportunity will also help ease the financial burden on my parents, who have sacrificed so much for my education.

Growing up, the question that I was most often asked was, “How do you understand that?”. It was my peers who were asking this question about my coding class, which I was one of the few girls in. I felt isolated, from the overwhelming number of male students in my class that stuck to themselves much of the time. Toward the end of my junior year, I won an award for my affiliate at the National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT). As all the awards were being handed out, I noticed that many of the awardees were in Girls Who Code. After that, my teacher and I set up a plan to launch a Girls Who Code Club for my high school. The club was officially launched in August of the new school year, and we had about fifteen girls join, from different graduating classes. It felt so gratifying to have a club full of other females with the same passion I have for coding. As a group, we quickly realized that we continued to code in high school because it was instilled in us in our elementary schools. So, we decided to visit elementary and middle schools within our school district to introduce computer programming to young minds. Teaching younger minds was very gratifying, and instilled faith in me that females going through the Computer Science program in my high school would have a community to be a part of. Just like coding was introduced to students by my friends and I, it was introduced to me by my dad. My Dad is a software engineer and my number one inspiration, which is why I have decided to follow in his footsteps. He is our sole-income producer for our household, still manages to take care of the house, and takes an interest in my sisters and me. Most importantly, he instilled his passion for programming in me at the age of seven. He got me started with block-based coding and even bought me books to learn different algorithms that I could use in my code. It was, and still is, a way for me to express my creativity. This is why I have decided to pursue a degree in Computer Science. I want to be able to make a memorable childhood for my future children, just as my dad has for me. While pursuing my bachelor’s degree I plan to focus on mobile app development because it reminds me of the eight-year-old who loved to make games out of block-based code. After achieving my degree, I want to take that love for mobile app development and apply it by working on for a gaming or social media company. While working, I would also like to take what I did in high school and apply it to the community I will be living in. With the help of this scholarship, I will be a role model for young computer scientists, just as my dad was for me.

Growing up, the question that I was most often asked was, “How do you understand that?”. It was my peers who were asking this question about my coding class, which I was one of the few girls in. To be completely honest, the question gave me confidence in my abilities but also made me feel lonely. This feeling was due to the lack of a female community in my coding class. I didn’t have anyone to share my joy from figuring out an error in a code. I felt isolated, from the overwhelming amount of male students in my class that stuck to themselves the majority of the time. Toward the end of my junior year, I won an award for my affiliate at the National Center for Women and Information Technology(NCWIT). As all the awards were being handed out, I noticed that the majority of the awardees were in Girls Who Code. After that, my teacher and I set up a plan to launch a Girls Who Code Club for my high school. The club was officially launched in August of the new school year, and we had about fifteen girls join, from different graduating classes. It felt so gratifying to have a club full of other females with the same passion I have for coding. We loved our monthly meetings where we would create new programs to show our creativity, as well as fix errors within a code. As a group, we quickly realized that we continued to code in high school because it was instilled in us in our elementary schools. So we decided to visit elementary and middle schools within our school district to introduce computer programming to young minds. Additionally, we wanted to ingrain taking computer science classes and joining the Girls Who Code in high school for young girls. Teaching younger minds was very gratifying, and instilled faith in me that females going through the Computer Science program in my high school would have a community to be a part of. Just like coding was introduced to students by my friends and I, it was introduced to me by my Dad. My Dad is a software engineer and my number one inspiration, which is why I have decided to follow in his footsteps. He is our sole-income producer for our household, still manages to take care of the house, and takes an interest in my sisters and I. Most importantly, he instilled his passion for programming in me at the age of seven. He got me started with block-based coding and even bought me books to learn different algorithms that I could use in my code. It was, and still is, a way for me to express my creativity. Expressing my creativity through code is one of my favorite things to do to this day. This is why I have decided to pursue a degree in Computer Science. I plan to focus on mobile app development because it reminds me of the eight-year-old who loved to make games out of block-based code. I love to express my creativity and develop ideas that can make life less stress-free, and more fun. With the help of this scholarship, I will be a role model for young computer scientists, just as my Dad was for me.