Nevertheless, Annie Coded

#wecoded

I began to code because...

It all started when I attended Girls Who Code Summer Immersion Program (GWC SIP) 2017 at Bank of America. Before this program, I thought coding was too difficult for me and that I wouldn't fit in the coding community; however, GWC SIP proved me wrong. Attending this program was one of the best decisions of my life. I felt like a new, better person after completing the program. The program made me a proud, confident female coder and showed me the power of computer science. I found a new passion, supportive community, and awesome friends! If I could replay that experience, I would've broken the replay button.

I continue to code because...

I want to create and share my innovations with others. I hope my innovations will have a positive impact on the world. I continue to code to show that I can. Girls can! Everyone can! I continue to code in hopes of inspiring others to code.

I want to brag about...

the interactive website about Angelina Messina that I made with my two friends and my teacher from GWCSIP (shout-out to Brenda, Taz, and Elana) at Hack The Deep in the American Museum of Natural History. Even though the website isn't perfect, I am very proud of it.

I'm excited about...

GWC reunions!!!
attending more hackathons
meeting other coders
spending the summer developing my coding skills
starting my college adventure at Columbia University!

My advice for other women and non-binary folks who code is...

Believe in yourself. You can and you will! Don't let stereotypes stop you.
Don't give up! Yes, coding is not easy, but remember why you are coding in the first place and keep going. I promise it is worth it!
Surround yourself with supportive people. They are the people that you can go to when you feel dishearten and stressed about life and the future. They will recharge you. Cherish them!
Do side coding projects. Develop your coding skills so that you can build more intricate and powerful programs.
Network, network, network. Seriously, network. You don't know what opportunities will come your way.
Have fun! At the end of the day, it's all about enjoying what you do :)