Advocating for Computer Science Education
After wanting to become an astrophysicist, and before wanting to become a teacher, I wanted to become a computer scientist.
After graduating high school during covid in May 2020 and finishing my astrophysics research internship at the American Museum of Natural History, a new passion was sparked: computer science.
In August 2020, I did a two-week coding program called Kode With Klossy. It changed my life. For the first time, I was in a (Zoom) classroom surrounded by people who shared an interest in STEM. After attending specialized arts middle and high schools, this was certainly a huge change.
Not only did I learn foundational web development coding languages such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, but I got to participate in a learning environment that was unlike anything I had experienced before. As we learned how to code, we also attended Culture of Technology sessions, where we learned what it actually looked like to put these skills into practice in the real world. I think a lot about this concept as an educator today—connecting what we are teaching in the classroom to the real world.
The learning environment made each Scholar feel seen and heard. The more I learned, the more I began to believe that it was essential that everyone have access to the same opportunity to learn how to code. So much was possible with a skillset in computer science. I could build a website or an app for anything I wanted. That is so powerful. I became more and more energized.
At the end of the session, each scholar was given a superlative. I got “Best Tech Activist.” My passion grew fast and strong. I had already been giving talks that I called my STEM story, where I talked about my trajectory following my interest in astrophysics. Now, my story evolved to include computer science and my evolving passion for computer science education. To date, I have given 40+ talks sharing my STEM story at hackathons, conferences, and other events within the women in STEM sphere. I have also returned to Kode With Klossy as an Instructor Assistant, Community Ambassador, and event speaker.
In hindsight, I shined in Kode With Klossy because of the learning environment. It was a space where I felt like I could be myself, and that made me dive more deeply into the curriculum, build stronger connections with my fellow Scholars, and become determined to carry my learning beyond the classroom. These are the types of learning environments I commit to always establishing and co-maintaining with my students.