ReFlection 2018-19:
FROM OUR ADVISOR:
I was extremely pleased to see how much we accomplished. Everyone on our team took responsibility and lead with their strength. I am so proud of our LC Girls Who Code for realizing that it was only about code but also about entrepreneurship and mentorship.
Clearly after our first meeting and our last meeting with parents there is a need to support and mentor young girls who are interested in computer science and engineering. We had over 160 applicants for only 30 spots. The elementary school girls and their parents were sad to see our program end. They are already asking if this program will be sustainable.
We developed new relationships and expanded our community outreach. Our judges were so excited to connect and mentor high school girls that they offered internship opportunities. This was an unexpected outcome.
-(Gayle Nicholls-Ali, Advisor)
FROM OUR LEADERSHIP:
As being our first time, I think we were really successful. Mentoring the girls didn't feel like work; it was fun and refreshing, unlike teaching peers our age. As the treasure, I dealt with the financials and reached out to our partners. We got more sponsors than expected. We built great relationships with them too. I find that we were very accomplished this year and well put together. The turnout was even better than expected.
-(Melissa Le, Treasure)
The results of our camp was absolutely stoking and shocking. We didn't expect it to blast through the roof being such a hit. This is our first year doing this, so it was new for everyone who participated; elementary grade girls and us high school girls. It was an experience that we all had a blast doing it. By the end of it, it wasn't just another coding camp it was a bonding and journey we all got to experience.
As a freshman, I joined because I had friends who were in the club and coding was something I enjoyed. Us being just a big mix of older girls, a flurry of different ages; I was nervous to be the youngest. However, We put that behind us because age doesn't really matter when we all shared a common hobby of coding. After this first year, I am definitely staying not only because we all gotten to know each other after spending so much time together, but because we could be ourselves and be proud of it. We were all unified in created this really welcoming environment that made us all obligated to stick around and help out.
Girls Who Code is my getaway. I'm always around and don't want to miss out. The Software Sisters are my second home. I don't want it to end because being here makes us laugh and giggle, have fun, and be part of such a wonderful thing that doesn't require much while simulataneously being something so much more. As I look back on what we have accomplished this year, I realize it is all because being together makes us unstoppable . I am grateful to be in something that means so much more as we show that gender and age doesn't change the game . . . We change the game together because we choose to go after our dreams.
-(Hailey Tamara)
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