Katherine’s CS Story: The Joy of Discovery and the Search for Support
TechTogether is very excited to welcome Katherine Lasonde to the team as a Brand Ambassador for TechTogether Boston 2020. Starting her journey into tech through enrolling in AP Computer Science as a junior in high school, she shares the challenges and triumphs that have led to where she is today, including a failed attempt to start a CS club in her high school for underrepresented minorities in tech and her eventual enrollment in the Google Computer Science Summer Institute-Coursera, which fueled her to continue her tech journey. Throughout it all, Katherine has kept her head held high and now, she is a freshman at Dartmouth University planning to major in Computer Science or Engineering. Stay until the end for a great list of resources for women and non-binary individuals in tech!
Sophomore Year: Katherine, Have You Ever Tried Computer Science?
In sophomore year of high school, my math teacher, Ms. S, pulled me aside after class and asked me a magic question:
“Katherine, have you ever tried computer science?”
Ms. S then proceeded to explain to me that based on my interests in her discrete math class, she believed I would love the field of computer science. Between her description of the pleasure of solving challenging problems and the practicality of learning to code in our time, I was captivated. Plus, I had always wanted to be one of the hackers you see in the movies; the tech-savvy member of the team who would type furiously for a few minutes, reroute around a few firewalls, and save the day! Despite having no experience in coding whatsoever, I signed up for AP Computer Science for the following fall per her recommendation.
Junior Year: I Was Hooked onto CS!
Fast forward to the following September 7th, 2017 — my first day of junior year. Approximately 8th period, or 2 pm, I walked into AP Computer Science and sat down in the first seat of the lab. That day, as is a tradition for many computer science classes, I followed my teacher’s demo of the Hello World project in Java in my own terminal. Not to sound too nerdy, but my heart skipped a beat when I saw my computer output “hello world” to the terminal. Wow, I really just made my computer do that.
When the bell rang forty minutes later, I understood nothing that my teacher showed during the demo. Words like “main method,” “terminal,” and “args” floated like rubber duckies in a whirlpool around my head. Yet, I was hooked. Absolutely enchanted.
The next few months that followed were a bit more tedious than the first day, but still immensely pleasurable. While most of my classmates had prior CS experience and breezed through the class, I sat with my teacher every day to finish labs and homework.
Despite my struggles, I continued to fall in love with computer science and found building challenging programs from scratch to be euphoric and fulfilling. One project I wrote was called Bowling, and it allowed users to input a game object, which includes a varying number of frames and different combinations of scores within. Then, my program calculates the overall score. In another program, called Graphics, the user can drag the mouse to create lines, ellipses, and rectangles. Users can also input a photo and perform various manipulations to it, such as color inversions. Seeing the red x’s in the unit test turning into green checkmarks kept me motivated, as well as the feeling of satisfaction of creating something applicable for real people.
Senior Year: An Attempt and a Tough Rejection
The following fall, I joined my high school’s Computer Science Club. The club consisted of many male classmates who had been members long before me, and I felt as if I couldn’t get my foot in the door. The difference in levels made it hard to learn and contribute equally, while the difference in background made it hard to connect. While no one was outright rude or hurtful, I felt a lack of inclusivity. Each time I entered the room, I would see the group of boys huddled in the back of the lab. There was absolutely no effort on the part of the boys to make room for me. Not to say that they didn’t want me there — some of the boys in the club I was friends with — and I don’t think the feeling of exclusion was intentional. Nevertheless, the feeling was still there, and in the moment, I was not brave enough to integrate myself completely. As a beginner to CS, and a female, I couldn’t relate to anyone in the club.
Unwilling to accept this feeling of loneliness, I attempted to start a computer science club for beginner and minority CS students to create a more supporting and welcoming community for coders at my high school. A place where anyone — no matter their gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, or level of experience — could walk into and be greeted with smiling faces. A place where everyone was important and felt free to ask questions. A place where I could find support in my CS endeavors and a whole lot of fun along the way too. With the help of a math teacher, we would hold workshops about learning topics in CS and other STEM-related subjects. Perhaps even a speaker or two! As the months of trying to push my proposal through the high school went on, I only became more excited about the community I was trying to build. However, one random Tuesday afternoon, I met with the Student Activities Director. “Higher up” faculty had rejected my proposal, citing exclusivity. Plus, there already was a Computer Science Club, so there wasn’t a need for a mine. While I believed my detailed proposal demonstrated a need for a second club, it became impossible for me to create the community I desperately wanted.
Without a mentor or a community to support me in my CS journey, my love for computer science dulled, and I focused on other extracurriculars that made me happy, such as swimming, viola, and Girl Scouts. Through the Gold Award program, I built a 34,700 sq. foot rain garden! As I applied for colleges senior year, I excitedly applied as an environmental engineering major. While I sometimes flirted with the idea of majoring in Computer Science, applying to schools such as University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Carnegie Mellon University, but I doubted my ability to keep up with the other students there. However, in the end, I opted to attend a smaller, liberal arts school — Dartmouth College — as a prospective engineering major, because I still thought CS wasn’t for me. (How wrong I was! But luckily, Dartmouth’s computer science program was one of the first in the country, and the small class sizes and undergraduate focus is almost unbeatable for any discipline. In the back of my mind, I knew the strength of the computer science curriculum at Dartmouth, and even as an intended engineering major, I must confess that the strength of the program was extremely appealing. Since I have been here, I can also testify to the passion of the professors through my personal experience as well.)
Summer Before College: My Passion for CS Renewed!
One day, on a whim in the second semester of my senior year, I applied to Google-Computer Science Summer Institute (CSSI), a three-week program for high school seniors from historically underrepresented minority groups in Computer Science. Even though I hadn’t been very involved in computer science the past year, I remembered how much I loved it, and the program seemed to be an excellent community for beginners.
Eventually, I was accepted to the CSSI-Coursera branch, as Google believed it would be a better fit for my skills. Through CSSI-Coursera, I met the most supportive, warm, and welcoming Teaching Assistant, as well as my program director and classmates. There were weekly cohort meetings where I connected with my peers and the TA, as well as office hours through Google Hangouts to work through algorithms I was stuck on. Being part of this community, I found my passion for computer science renewed!
Now: There IS a Place for You in CS!
Through my experiences, I have discovered that encouraging girls to become interested in tech is one battle, but helping girls stay motivated in the field is another battle. Lack of diversity can alienate potentially outstanding students and breakthroughs in any discipline, not just CS. I felt the gender gap and lack of support for minorities in technology, and I would never want girls to be prevented from pursuing what they love. For young girls out there, particularly in high school, please, PLEASE do not let your passion for computer science dim because you feel alone. You are not alone. There are so many resources out there for women in computer science explicitly meant for you. Your contributions to the field of computer science can not be understated, and while it may take a bit of time to find your place, there is one for you. Get involved with various gender-based STEM programs if you are struggling, and be an active member!
While I thankfully stumbled upon Google CSSI-Coursera, I had no idea of the number of resources available to women in tech until very recently! Therefore, I have compiled the below list of websites and programs for females in STEM/CS, particularly in the Boston area, who feel the need for a community to check out :)
Resources for Women and Non-binary Folks in CS!
Societies
- Society of Women Engineers: https://swe.org/
- Built by Girls: https://www.builtbygirls.com/about-wave
- TechLades: https://www.hiretechladies.com/
- AnitaB: https://anitab.org
- Women Who Code: https://www.womenwhocode.com
- Girls Who Code: https://girlswhocode.com/
- Black Girls Code: http://www.blackgirlscode.com/
- Girls in Tech: https://girlsintech.org/
- National Center for Women Information and Technology: https://www.ncwit.org/
- Write Speak Code: https://www.writespeakcode.com/
Conferences for Women in Tech
- Tufts Women in Computer Science (Boston, 9/14): http://www.tuftswit2019.weebly.com
- Women Conquering the World of Tech (Boston, 9/26): https://www.greenhornconnect.com/event/ladies-lounge-women-conquering-the-world-of-tech-2/
- Grace Hopper Celebration (Orlando, 10/1–10/4): https://ghc.anitab.org/
- Women in Tech West Summit (Denver, 10/4): https://west.womenintechsummit.net/
- Women in Tech East Coast (Boston, 10/24–10/25): https://www.women-in-tech-east-coast.com/
- Society of Women Engineerings Conference (11/7–11/9): https://we19.swe.org/
- Wonder Women Tech ( Anaheim, CA, 11/7–11/9): https://wonderwomentech.com/
- TechUp For Women (NYC, 11/12): https://corporatelearninghub.com/techupforwomen/
- S. H. E. Summit (NYC, 11/21–11/22): https://shesummit.com/
Gender Focused Hackathons
Check out this TechTogether article for a list of gender-focused hackathons!
Future Plans: I don’t have 2020 vision yet, but here’s my plan for now!
Currently, I am preparing to major in either Computer Science or (Computer) Engineering and am taking classes in both disciplines. At Dartmouth, I do not declare a major until midway through sophomore year, so I have plenty of time to amass more experience in both disciplines. Recently, I have joined the Dartmouth Formula Racing Club, with plans to help code for the team, as well as the Dartmouth Hackathon group and Society of Women Engineers. (Come to the Dartmouth Hackathon at Dartmouth in the spring, date to be determined!!)
Finally, come to TechTogether Boston 2020 from January 31st to February 2nd at Boston University (applications open early November) and TechTogether New York 2019 from October 25th to October 27th at Queens College (applications open NOW)!! :))
