Meet Kennan: Learning & Helping Others
Kennan is a junior in high school and has participated in the CodeNow program since 2017 as a student and a volunteer!
What was your first experience with coding?
I was first introduced to coding in 9th grade during an introductory computer science class at school. The class only met once per week so we didn’t get to do much actual coding. We learned some NetLogo which is a very introductory programming language, and eventually a bit of Python towards the end of the semester. I really liked the teacher and the subject matter so I was inspired to learn more. The following summer I took a class at NYU that introduced me to Java. Since then I’ve been trying to spread out to other languages, particularly Python because I want to get into machine learning using Tensorflow and Keras.
Why did you pick CodeNow?
I was excited to do an intensive workshop with other students who have similar interests. Although students at my school are extremely academically talented, there are only two computer science classes offered: a basic level pass-fail class in 9th grade as I mentioned, and an AP Computer Science class in 11th or 12th grade.
CodeNow was the perfect way for me to fill in the gap by giving me a jump-start in programming languages that I had not been introduced to. In particular, I was eager to learn HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for web development. CodeNow was also an opportunity for me to interact with very intelligent students and mentors who are passionate about coding and computer science in general.
What were your expectations going into your first CodeNow workshop?
I did my first CodeNow workshop in Spring 2017. I was a bit nervous but excited to learn. At that point, I had had some exposure to Java but had never dabbled in the realm of web development, so I was excited to learn a new skill. Everyone at CodeNow was super welcoming and nice, and people were willing to help when I didn’t understand something on the first go. I built my first ever web app!
CodeNow was the perfect way for me to fill in the gap by giving me a jump-start in programming languages that I had not been introduced to.
You’ve not only been a CodeNow student, but you’ve also been a CodeNow volunteer! What have you learned from helping other CodeNow students learn?
Being a volunteer was a great experience because everyone at CodeNow has a thirst for knowledge and wants to be part of a collaborative learning community. When I was volunteering at one of the workshops, you showed a slide to the group that said something like “It’s ok not to get it.” Since the material was new to many of the participants, not everyone was able to get it at first. I learned how important it is to encourage new students by letting them know that they shouldn’t feel ashamed if they don’t understand something. Asking for help and making mistakes are integral to the learning process! What’s great about the CodeNow community is that the teachers are very supportive, and they inspire students to try new things and to help each other.
Now that you’re a junior in high school, what are your plans going forward?
At the moment, I am taking AP Computer Science at school and studying for the SAT. I also recently submitted applications for STEM summer programs. My plan is to expand my CS and math knowledge by taking extra classes or doing summer research with a professor. I’m not quite settled on a college list, but my goal is to go to a top school with strong CS and mathematics departments. I want to study computer science, mathematics, and data science in college.
I learned how important it is to encourage new students by letting them know that they shouldn’t feel ashamed if they don’t understand something. Asking for help and making mistakes are integral to the learning process!
Do you have any advice for students who may be interested in coding?
Coding is one of those things that can seem very intimidating at the outset, especially for students who haven’t had a lot of exposure to it. My advice would be to start small and be patient with yourself. It takes a lot of time and experience to create something that reflects your vision, so the first project you complete might not be great. Self-learning can be a great (and free) way to learn how to program; there are so many resources online, but it only works in you’re motivated.
I have found that setting tangible goals really helps. Set your intentions (i.e., I’m going to study x concept for one hour tonight and y concept for two hours tomorrow.) Also, don’t be afraid to use Google search and StackOverflow! It may seem like cheating but even the most talented programmers still use them from time to time. There’s just so much to learn that it is impossible to know everything. Pulling from other people’s code is fine, as long as it’s open source and you notate the source appropriately. Make sure you actually know what the code does, and that you’re not just blindly using it. My rule of thumb is if I Ctrl+C (copy) something, I should know exactly what the code is doing and be able to explain it to someone else. Good luck!
And good luck to Kennan as he finishes his junior year and determines what his next steps will be!
