Emily is a sophomore at Stanford studying Symbolic Systems and originally from the Atlanta area. She learned to code with Scratch back in middle school, and is now mentoring young girls and boys just getting started themselves!
When did you start to code?
I started out in Scratch in middle school as an elective class. Then, when I got into high school, I took an introductory CS class at a local community college, and although it only touched the surface of coding, I fell in love with it!
What do you find rewarding about teaching kids to code?
Being able to share what you love with kids is incredibly rewarding, especially when the kids you teach start to also love it. It’s great seeing the topics click in their heads and seeing them figuring out how to solve a problem on their own.
What is your favorite game or project you have created with a student?
One of my students and I are creating a variation of Snake on Scratch, and she’s proposing various ideas on her own! It’s great seeing her gain independence in the projects we’re working on and right now we’re adding additional levels.
What advice do you have for kids learning to code?
Perseverance is key! I know it gets discouraging when your program doesn’t work but keep trying! There are resources and people to help you find the problem. Just keep at it, and eventually you’ll figure out what the problem is, and it’ll be so satisfying when you finally do.