“Coded by Kids has given me a different point of view about what I can do with my future. The responsibility that I have been given has increased my interests and my curiosity. […] This experience pushed me far beyond what I expected. I’m learning something completely new almost every day and applying it to real world [web development] projects.”
About David
A rising fourth year student at Drexel University, David is pursuing his degree in Software Engineering and is an avid runner, which he does to relax his mind and take in the scenic views around Philly. He first joined Coded by Kids in 2019 when he was in high school and entered our annual Ctrl+Shift coding competition. David and his team won 2nd place for The Path of Hope, their eye-catching website about immigration policy through the perspective of those with lived experiences. “Ctrl+Shift opened my eyes to how much more there is to computer science besides what I had learned so far.”
After high school, David joined Draft Studios — Coded by Kids’ student-run digital design web development agency. In Draft Studios, David has had the opportunity to work on a team creating websites for local nonprofits and businesses while receiving mentorship and guidance from Coded by Kids staff and local industry professionals. “This experience pushed me far beyond what I have ever expected, learning something completely new almost every day while applying it to real world projects.”
Learning to Lead
Coded by Kids strives to create leaders out of our students and David is an excellent example of this work. Now the Lead Developer for Draft Studios, David credits learning process and development standards with helping him be a good leader to the other interns. “Knowing this type of structure has helped me understand how I should guide incoming interns […] and what I need to do to support them during their time at Draft Studios.”
He will expand those leadership skills this summer by participating in our OpportunityPHL mentorship program sponsored by Peacock. “I hope to get guidance on what potential career opportunities I could have in my future. Now that I am reaching the end of my University experience, I am looking to expand my horizons of knowledge.”
Advice for Future Interns
Now as a team lead, David has some advice for teens who want to get into tech. Although coding and programming are seen as a really complicated thing, “in reality, they are just typing an essay in a different language. You don’t learn English overnight, you take slow steps to learn the language/concepts and learn how to apply the language in different ways for different scenarios. You are essentially learning a super power because we are surrounded by technology.”
David says that he would encourage other young people to “take a chance on something that you are interested in, even if you don’t know anything about the topic.” He believes that taking the first step and exploring your interest comes with endless possibilities, and you’ll never know unless you try!
