By I remember the feeling of excitement, but uncertainty, as I was walking towards the classroom I was about to spend two weeks in, to learn some coding. It was my first foray into “Kode With Klossy,” and although I had enrolled myself in this class to learn a new skill, I didn’t truly know what to expect. I wasn’t even sure whether this was the right place for me. But all my worries flew out the window as soon as I stepped into the classroom and saw the kind and welcoming smiles of the instructors.
My heart was jumping when I saw all the equipment and necessities that were provided for us. We had a stress-free space where there was everything that we needed to become coding masterminds.
In all honesty, on the first day, everyone in our group was a little awkward and kept to themselves. But as the facilitators broke the ice more and more, played more games, and taught us how to be brave and open, we grew closer and closer together.
By the end of the first week, we were like a family. A family whose purpose was to come together with the intention of learning and being brave.
For two weeks, our group spent time with each other, everyday from morning to evening. We spent our time grinding on the codes, failing and succeeding, celebrating and being frustrated. We took breaks, sometimes willingly (and oh-so-eagerly), and sometimes being pulled away for the sake of our health. As a group, we indulged in yoga sessions, danced out our frustrations, sang our hearts out with karaoke, indulged in snacks, lunches, and everything fun. The best part? We did it together, as a sisterhood.
By the end of the first week, we were like a family. A family whose purpose was to come together with the intention of learning and being brave. The amount of support and love I received everyday was simply beautiful. I was exhausted at the end of the day and fell asleep at 7pm every night, but I was excited to wake up the next morning to do it all again!
At “Kode With Klossy,” not only did we learn how to build our own apps from scratch — which we did by the end of the program — but we also learned what it means to be a good coder and programmer, how important it is for girls to be in this industry, and how it’s okay to fail over and over again, but to never give up.
Each and every girl in the class put herself and her vulnerabilities out there. We struggled together, asked so many questions, felt frustrated, but also jumped up out of excitement of figuring out the codes and solving the errors. We did it on our own, but also as a group. We kept cheering each other on, and worked together to make sure no one was left behind.
I met some of the most amazing and inspiring women at this camp.
Our instructors patiently explained to us the complex concepts of coding, and gave us the skills to build a whole app in just two weeks. Our IA’s were there to answer our questions, and also surprised us everyday with fun new games and breaks to build upon our sisterhood and our determination to learn.
I met some of the most amazing and inspiring women at this camp. From hardworking teachers, math masterminds, and entrepreneurs to aspiring future politicians and computer engineers.
I was honored to sit in the same class and get to become friends with a group of bright, strong, and supportive women.
We are the future, and my experience with “Kode With Klossy” helped me see why that is so important. And seeing this incredible group of women come together the way that we did makes my heart feel assured that the future is bright.