"Coding is challenging, but it’s also kind of fun, actually. I love the feeling of building something and finishing it. " - Gia
Aptly known as the “Tech Queen” at her school, Gia is very passionate about technology and coding. Whenever there is a tech-related question in her class, Gia is there to help. Gia is a 9-year-old curious and vibrant girl who took coding classes at The Lavender Spaceship Project for over a year. She started her learning journey with block-based programming and moved up to introductory text-based programming.
Whether it is the latest education app or a new tech product in the market, Gia wants to learn more about how tech is making this world a better place. More importantly, Gia wants to find out how she can contribute to the creation of innovative tech tools that help people and solve problems. Gia has made multiple coding projects with us that focus on solving real-world problems - which range from raising awareness about ocean pollution, providing homes for rescued animals or telling the story of her favorite role model, Grace Hopper, so that more people learn about her.
We asked Gia her thoughts about her experience as a young girl who codes and this is what she shared with us.
If you were to explain what coding means to a classmate of yours, what will you say?
To me, coding is giving a set of instructions to a computer. Like, in Scratch, I can write code to move the sprite 15 steps forward, and it will do just that. Or I can tell it to turn 90 degrees to the left, and it will follow. Although in some languages, say python, you need to enter your command in form of text. So coding means telling the computer what to do in a way that it understands.
Why did you start learning to code?
I started learning to code because I know that it is a very important part of all of our lives, as we wouldn’t be able to do much without it - from playing our favorite video game to creating a robot that helps us social distance. I also know that one day it will be an even bigger part of our lives because there is so much technology all around us. So I think learning coding is very important.
What makes coding exciting for you?
Not long ago in 2021, I entered a competition for robotics, in which I had to make an animal-based robot using LEGO Wedo. I made a robotic snake that used the grab function. When I started the program, the snake would open its mouth for five seconds, grab the item, and move to a different location before its mouth opened again and dropped the item. Me and Catelyn, who was my partner, won the first prize! We got a medal and a trophy. It was the best week all year! So I would say the best part about coding is that it is challenging, but it’s also kind of fun, actually. I love the feeling of building something and finishing it.
What do you want to say to other young girls who want to learn how to code?
Although it takes a lot of practice, in the end, coding is worth it! It does take time to master it, so you really have to keep at it. When things get tough for me, I know that I can ask my teacher for help, and I say that from years of experience. Also, when my code works, I feel very proud. So I would say that coding is fun and everyone should try it!
We couldn't agree more. It is heartwarming to see Gia so motivated and inspired by coding and technology at such a young age. The future of tech looks bright because girls like Gia are out there — exploring, creating, and understanding tech. Here is to more “Tech Queens” of the world!