Brian Ton is a junior at UC San Diego who has been with Breakout Mentors for two years now, including as one of our summer interns! He specializes in working with our USACO students, as he was a Gold competitor in high school. Brian has a wide ranging CS background, let’s get to know him a bit more:
When did you start to code?
I first learned how to code in elementary school by making games with Scratch, but I didn’t touch any programming again until high school. In high school, I learned the basics of Python and Java and soon started competing in USACO in my freshman year.
Why is it important for kids to start coding when young?
It is important for kids to start coding when young because it is the gateway to developing many different skills and also because it teaches you a new mode of thinking. After learning how to code, all my school classes (Math, Science, and even English) became much easier. It’s also a very important skill, especially as technology is becoming more advanced.
What advice do you have for kids learning how to code?
My advice is to just keep trying. Learning how to code takes a bit of time and a lot of failure. It’s very easy to get discouraged, but as long they keep trying and persevering, then they will become a great programmer!
More Great Mentors Just Like Brian
The reason we are able to consistently provide learning progress to our students isn’t a perfect step-by-step tutorial. It is our excellent team of mentors. We only hire inspiring mentors from top universities, just like Brian, plus for the USACO focus, they are all personally competed in high school themselves. So even though Brian may not be able to take on another student, we can pair your son or daughter with someone just as impressive.