Catherine Cheng
Vice President
I'm Catherine, a senior at Westwood. Coding is something I've enjoyed since I was little. Let's just say designing web layouts is super cool and I still do it today. The best part about CS is that it is such a free activity. There aren't any limitations to the art besides, of course, syntax (which is basically like pesky grammer rules). After web design (HTML + CSS + Javascript) I became interested in Python which was a completely different experiance. Coding games? Sweet!
After entering high school I had a blast in AP Computer Science during sophmore year. There I started to learn Java and while it's not my favorite language, it was alright coding with it. Now, as part of Girls Who Code I'm immersed in a community of like minded people. Feel free to come join us, it's fun, I promise.
Meet the Club Officers!
My name is Saumya Prakash and I am a rising Junior at Westwood High School. Growing up, I was always surrounded by technology and I soon became interested with the power of technology. During my sophomore year, I took AP Computer Science to learn some basics of Computer Science. As soon as I walked into the class, I quickly realized how big the disparity in technology really is. In a class of around 30, only 5 students were girls. I joined Girls Who Code so I could inspire other girls to enter the programming field. I love programming because programming gives me the ability to make things simply by typing characters on a computer! I am extremely glad I am part of Girls Who Code because it is such a welcoming environment. I hope to get girls interested in coding since it is such an important skill to have these days and because it genuinely is fun!
Saumya Prakash
Treasurer
I am a senior at Westwood. Growing up, I never imagined that I would be interested in coding. The thought of sitting at a computer "typing stuff" bored me. After much coaxing from my mother, I took an Intro to HTML/CSS class a year ago and found myself enjoying it. My sophomore year, I took AP Computer Science and was hooked from day one. I took IB Comp Sci SL last year and IB Comp Sci HL this year. I am also planning on continuing with computer science in college and career. The analytical thinking and logic that goes into building a program or app is what draws me to coding. Contrary to the stereotype, coding requires a great deal of innovation and creativity. Ability to think outside the box and come up with elegant solutions to challenging problems is what makes great coders great. This year, I noticed that there were very few girls in my Comp Sci class. None of my friends were interested in coding either. From my own experience with Comp Sci, I know that girls seem to think coding is boring, intimidating, or nerdy. Girls Who Code will give me the perfect opportunity to change that mindset and share my passion for programming with other girls.
Garima Singh:
President
I'm Maya and I am an incoming Senior at Westwood. Computer Science always seemed interesting but foreign to me; a powerful, yet unattainable tool. When I finally took my first CS class, I realized that coding, like any skill, just needed a little practice. I was soon hooked on the logic and satisfaction of coding. Every time I solved a new problem, I could actually see tangible results. CS is rapidly gaining prevalence in virtually every field, and it can be combined with many other interests to create engaging projects and careers. As the field becomes so important, it's vital that we adress the gender disparities in CS classes/careers. This idea is the touchstone of Girls Who Code. For me, GWC provided a great environment to experiment with code, free of intimidation, and I'm extremely proud to be part of the organization. I hope the club will inspire others to overlook stereotypes and try out (or continue) coding!
Maya Kothare-Arora
Secretary/Historian
Meet the Club Sponsor!
Mrs. Brooks is a biology teacher at Westwood High School. She is passionate about helping girls succeed!
Racheal Brooks
Biology Teacher
Meet the Club Instructors!
I studied Computer Science at University of Texas at Austin and have been a professional programmer for nearly 20 years. During that time I've worked for countless startups, authored 3 programming books, written for several programming magazines and traveled the world, going as far as Brazil and China, to speak and teach. In my spare time I help run several local developer meetups and teach programming classes at Austin Community College. I currently work for ThreatGRID doing malware analysis. My favorite programming language is Clojure.
I taught myself to code when I was nine by typing in video game code from computer magazines. It was a struggle because I never had anyone to teach me. My hope with Girls Who Code Clubs is to make sure nobody in the club who wants to learn to code will be able to say they didn't have anyone to teach them.
